Lunging with no lunge line

[kayjayhorses]

I managed to lunge my horse last night, walk and trot, without the need of a lunge line, dont know what made me do it but I thought I would try her without it.

Her cirlces were a little odd shaped to start with but once she got going her cirlces became a nice shape and size, she even listened to my commands for the transitions.

It was nice to see her thinking for herself and that she was willing to listen to me bearing in mind she could have trotted off at any time, I only lunge once every 2-3 weeks its not something I seriously use in our exercise plan but I was a little short for time as the sky went dark and thought it was about to rain at any minute....which it did - hale stones!

 

[SupaTania]

We too lunge our horses without lunge lines, but we do it in the round pens - so kind of cheating. If you do it often enough, they start to learn when you are going to make them reverse direction, and all of your transitions.

GOOD FOR YOU!!!

 

[Ebie Equestrian]

When I bought my last horse (bargain purchase hanoverian) I asked the YO to check if she thoug she was sound as she had a bump to hock many months before I bought her. She was in our indoor school and YO simply just asked her to trot started to click her fingers at the same time as making a clicking noise with her mouth. Rosie started to 'lunge' around her in trot. No lunge line/lunge whip Never seen that before.

Emma

 

[capalldubh]

I sort of do this too.

Shannon was off for three months as confined to quarantine field after strangles. Her owner told me that she didn't lunge, just ran off trailing lunge line, but that I could try to lunge her in an open field if I was brave enough.

So I took a different tack, and decided to clicker train her. Took a while, but by the end she was circling me on both reins at walk and trot, just following a target stick - she'll even keep going when the other horses wander over to have a look.

I think it's a useful skill and something I can build on now that I'm riding her again. (Also used clicker training to teach her turn on the forehand after we got expert at the no-lunge lunge).

 

[domane]

Wow! I'm impressed.... that's a really well-trained horse.

 

[poohsmate]

i never use a line on rommy, i have free schooled him since i got him. this is him just after i bought him.

 

[kayjayhorses]

I was so impressed, I'm going to keep it up and try to build on it.

As we do lots of schooling and she's quite a nervous nelly to hack this has brought another dimension to our relationship and I think she enjoyed being free, it made a nice change.

 

[Bay Mare]

I tried free schooling Saffy. She's fine for about a minute but then discovered a way out of the school via the back of the barn to where the grass and cleavers are growing!!!!

Oh for a round pen or an enclosed school