Lunging and engaging the quarters

[Sarah]

hello!

As I said last summer Heather, i am not good at lunging at all. How can I ask Tango to engage her quarters on the lunge so that she is working and not just zipping around?

I have tried doing lots of walk trot transitions, and askign her to move her back legs under her with the lunge whip, but that just gives me a very fast running Tango on the end of the line! I lunge her in side reins attached quite loosely and she is happy to arch her head to the correct position leaving the side reins flopping, but her backside is still in Oxfordshire.

In ridden work she is now starting to engage her quarters and accept my legs asking for engagement.

If you could give me any pointers that would be great.

Thanks,

Sarah

[KarlR]

Sarah,

I think that's a very good question!

As I've said elsewhere, I feel that pulling in the head with draw reins and similar "tools" results in quite the opposite to true engagement - a false outline with no impulsion.

I'm no expert on lunging, but I believe that working a horse on tighter circles (for short periods with an intermission!) results in better engagement. I would guess that this is true in lunging aswell.

I'd be interested to hear other opinions though.

[Maria]

Hi Sarah

I've lost track of how far forward Tango is with her fittening programme - so maybe this idea is one for later.
Try lunging her over 3 or 4 trotting poles - fan them out so that you can get her to vary her stride length by placing her to the outside for a longer stride, and to the inside for a shorter stride. She'll have to think about her stride length and I think you will find it will help to engage her hindquarters without rushing off. You can also try raising one end of the trotting pole to make her think too!

Maria

[Sarah]

Thanks Maria, I shall try that next time I lunge.

[Heather]

HI Sarah,

Have you ear of the TTeam work of Linda Tellington Jones? She uses a bandage sort od wrapped around the horse's back end which encourages it to step more under. I have two TTeam practitioners here on a course next week, so will ask them about it for you.

Personally when I have a horse like this, I wouldwork it in two lunge reins, a bit like long reining, but with one rein normal, and one coming round the outside round the quarters. It is however a skilled job if you are not to start pulling bakc on the reins if the horse speeds up.

I would probably also do some in hand work, which I a getting much better at now thatI can also use my right side as well as my left- I am strongly right handed but not when working from the ground with a horse!

I am doing quite a lot of in hand stuff with my horses now and finding it tremendously beneficial.Lippi has taken to it very well although I had already done quite a bit with him with the rider on board.

However, trying out my brand new Portuguese long reins, ( like the SRS where the rider works at the horses rear end but slighly to one side) on Lippi, who has been eating a surfeit of spring grass, was not a pleasant experience nasally!

Will stick with the in hand stuff and wait til he is not quite so flatulent!!


Heather

[Sarah]

Ho ho, that made me laugh Heather! You trying to long rein a flatulent horse is a very amusing thought - sorry!

When Tango is next back in work i shall give the two rein lunging a go after she has bit of time to get used to being back in ridden work then time to get use to exercise without mum on board.

I have seen the TTeam bandage thingy used - in a Your Horse article about 3 or 4 years ago. I will dig it out and have a look, but that would be great if you could ask the people on your course next week, thanks.

Sarah