Useful things to do whilst lunging

[Daffy Dilly]

Because I'm struggling with getting Daffy to carry himself under saddle, I've decided I'm going to get him carrying himself first, through a combination of warming up on the buckle (before setting in with transitions, circles and pole work to help with balance, upwards movement, impulsion and responsiveness) and lunging, because then he has to carry himself.

So, apart from just going in circles (with the odd jump thrown in) any suggestions? I have one lunge line and a cavasson, and haven't the foggiest about long reining/lunging with two lines. :p

[Aphrodite]

Hi.

I'm no expert myself to be honest!! The way i did it is to start off small. Use small circles in walk only until you get him listening to your walk and halt commands, and he is calm. If he's never been lunged before you may need someone to lead him around whilst you lunge for him to get the hang of it. Remember that the smaller the circle is the more difficult it is for him, so don't try to go too fast on a small circle in case he hurts himself.

As he gets better, try a gentle trot. Borrow a lunge whip if necessary to get him shifting forwards and get his butt underneath him. Keep the sessions short so he doesn't get bored and praise him when he does it well. So many people are silent when lungeing, which surprises me. Usually horses will carry on at the speed they're told but it's still good to encourage them.

You may at some point wish to use side reins attached to lunge surcingle/saddle but it's no problem if you don't. It depends on the horse and what you want from him. It may also be more difficult for him so don't worry about these too early on. Above all make it fun!

Lungeing is hard work for horses. 20mins-1/2hr is about equal to an hour's schooling. Good luck!!:) :)

[KateWooten]

send him over things... jumps for example, but also tarps, creeks ... take your lunging out of the arena and into the real world. do transitions and inside turns. Set up a little obstacle course in the arena - send him over there and try to get all four feet into that hula-hoop laid on the ground, ask him to walk sideways the whole length of a ground pole. Put up 3 buckets in a traingle and see if you can ask him to weave in and out around them, while not moving your feet.

[cvb]

Because I'm struggling with getting Daffy to carry himself under saddle, I've decided I'm going to get him carrying himself first, through a combination of warming up on the buckle (before setting in with transitions, circles and pole work to help with balance, upwards movement, impulsion and responsiveness) and lunging, because then he has to carry himself.

So, apart from just going in circles (with the odd jump thrown in) any suggestions? I have one lunge line and a cavasson, and haven't the foggiest about long reining/lunging with two lines. :p

if I understand this right, under saddle you do: buckle end warm up then transitions, circles, polework

well - just change that to lunging ! Start with a warm up in walk, trot, canter on each rein. Then start working on: transitions, change the size of the circle, change within the pace (i.e. collected to extended and back), and pole work.

:D

[Daffy Dilly]

ask him to walk sideways the whole length of a ground pole. Put up 3 buckets in a traingle and see if you can ask him to weave in and out around them, while not moving your feet.

With one rein? Can you explain that one for me? :)

Ta CVB, we just did basic walk trot and canter tonight as its the first time I've been able to really lunge him (grass is there for eating, not trotting on;)) and he was great in the school, so I want to get some use out of it as then I can vary his work more, and hopefully get things done with him twice a day.

[KateWooten]

ooohh - it's really neat ! It's mostly a parelli thing. You can absolutely do anything on one line - you know how you can 'push' your horse over with one finger, if he's crowding you in the stable, for example... well you can also 'push' him away laterally, even though you're not actually touching him, when he's on a lunge line ... For example, you can ask him to step his hind end away from you by staring hard at his hip. Well, obviously you need to train and practice and fool with it for a bit - and using a stick as an extension of your arm at first helps with the teaching of it .. but when you've gone and played a lot out in a roundpen or arena, you can really send them out and using the line, the stick, your eyes, your body language - you can draw the horse towards you and push him away, over quite a wide distance.

Just to draw a link between this and the 'other' thread - this is why Parelli is so enticing ... because from there to doing all these cool things without even the one line isn't that much of a distance ... and then it looks really cool. Good Parelli-ers think nothing of having their horse merrily canter round doing flying lead changes as they change direction in and out barrels on the lunge line !

[LMS]

So many people are silent when lungeing, which surprises me. Usually horses will carry on at the speed they're told but it's still good to encourage them.
:)
I agree with your second line here but let me tell a little snipit regarding the first line:
When I was going for my first certification, I was about to lunge this very sensitive mare. Every noise she heard, she would go up in speed or break into the next higher gait. We were told to stay quiet whilst lunging but I thought, no I won't because every little noise is setting her off. I'd been lunging horses for 2 decades by then, so made an educated decision.

Well, my actions proved me right, she stayed steady as I gently spoke to her in order to make a type of white noise. I'd tell her good girl, walk (or whichever gait she was in), or ho-hoo. Not a constant chatter though, just enough to keep her going steady.

At the end, I was told that I'd almost failed that portion of the exam because I'd talked to the horse instead of only telling her the commands once. I explained myself & I was told that the horse should've been better trained then.:eek: :rolleyes:

At my second exam, a very nervous & ill prepared candidate was lunging the horse before me. Poor thing had gotten the horse in a state. When it was my turn, again I thought: "I don't care what the examiner thinks, I'm going to calm my horse in any way I can"

I took my time & talked to him & as he relaxed, I became more quiet. But I kept throwing in some "good boy's", "brave", or noises & commands when encouragement was needed. Passed that portion of the exam no problem & no complaints from the examiner.

The first was CanTRA, the second was OEF.

[atillathefun]

I set up lots of different things in the school like poles and jumps at different ends then I lunge at one end and reguarly walk him up the side of the school to the other end and then lunge that end over whatever I have set out.
As He is coming out of the cirlce on the corner of the long side I face the other end and hold the line out infront of me and walk with him. My horse got the hang of it really quickly. Not sure if there is a correct way to do it, I just started doing it to add a bit of variety and keep him listening. It also means I dont have to stop and move stuff if I decide I want to lunge over nothing I leave the middle empty so I can move him half way along.

Hope that made sense - was a bit of a waffle sorry :)

You could set up some jumping grids and go with him down the long side or free lunge him over them. My horse gets so excited free lunging over jumps its great :)

[cvb]

atilla

you can actually lunge this way on a circle as well as going down a long side.

BHS tend to teach the method of standing in the middle, facing the horse's side with arm+rein/arm+whip/horse making a triangle that the person is on the corner of.

As the horse turns, the person pivots in the centre, or crossing leg over t'other to make the turn.

BUT - the way I find easier, both for me and the horse, and is equally valid - you face slightly in the direction the horse is moving in, with rein arm slightly across you and whip arm to the side. Walk with the horse. Then you are not crossing your legs and you can change the size of the circle the horse makes by walking a bigger or smaller circle yourself. Plus it seems to help driving slower horses forward and it makes it really easy to move the circle around the arena, or move forward faster e.g. when they jump.

[andreaB]

why not get an instructor to give you a lesson on lunging your horse , they would be able to help you with your technique , assess where you horse is at & give you appropriate exercises to work on with him , as a one off i'm sure you'd find it money well spent