20 month old 'accidentally' lunged

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Funkyfilly84

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Hi
I have a 20 month old cob filly, who I have had for a couple of months. She is lead with a halter and 22 foot line, as we are still learning our manners. Today she got sprightly and ended up running around on the end of the rope for 5/10 minutes before she calmed herself again. Yes I am aware that lunging at such a young age can cause bone/ muscle damage and that was not my intention at all, my question is, am I likely to have caused her any damage in this short space of time? Ground is quite forgiving at the moment and she did not slip, but have worried myself.

Thank you
 
No harm will have been done in terms of strain in joints/tendons, but I question that you don't have proper control, yes a long rein is useful, but not essential, indeed it is unusual, Manners should be taught early on, difficult if she was allowed to do her own thing before you got her, but two months is too long. Two days should be enough to turn round bad manners. You might need an instructor to come along and give her a couple of lessons in manners, which you will re-enforce. The horse has to know what you want her to do, and it is up to you to make sure she "gets " it.
 
Usually lead on a 12ft line, however I had picked the wrong one up and hadnt realised. She had been fairly unhandled until I got her, and she has swift front legs, if she gets angry/confused she stands up, boxing with her fronts then lunges with her teeth. 12 ft line is purely to give space when teaching.
 
amymay said:
Closer is safer.
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I agree, I can never understand the advice I often see on here to lead badly behaved horses on a 12' line. You need to keep the horse close to you, watch its body language carefully and put a stop to any messing about before it starts. If you are 12' away from the horse you are in exactly the right place to be double barrelled.
 
Thanks all, do my best to keep as close as possible, but appreciate all the advice and will change the length of rope, looking forward to our future :) thanks all
 
amymay said:
Closer is safer.
Click to expand...

Yes, what I recommend, [probably, as its impossible to advise online], is to rap hard on the neck with a rope when it lunges / "attacks" you. You need to be quick, and make it certain that the horse is clear that the behaviour is not acceptablr. Do not mess about or make a huge fuss, just do it and move on. You can give short lessons, but if I were you I would get professional help, at the moment the horse is gettting away with bad behaviour, therefore he assumes that it is acceptable.
The standard cheapo lead rope is too short, and often too soft, and the gold coloured snap is too weak.
You may need to use some form of control headcollar/halter. I used to handle twenty horses per day in headcollars, they were all born "unhandled".
 
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Pearlsasinger said:
I agree, I can never understand the advice I often see on here to lead badly behaved horses on a 12' line. You need to keep the horse close to you, watch its body language carefully and put a stop to any messing about before it starts. If you are 12' away from the horse you are in exactly the right place to be double barrelled.
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Confused.com
I'd always lead an unhandled/sharp horse on a longer line.
Using a long line doesn't mean you have to stand 12' away!!
Closer is definitely safer - but a bit of extra line length can come in handy if they do try and get away from you
 
ihatework said:
Confused.com
I'd always lead an unhandled/sharp horse on a longer line.
Using a long line doesn't mean you have to stand 12' away!!
Closer is definitely safer - but a bit of extra line length can come in handy if they do try and get away from you
Click to expand...

This^^. I don't understand the advice either, it is the total opposite of what I was taught and have always done. The long line is there to use if needed, it doesn't mean you lead them from feet away!

Personally OP I think you are right to use a 12ft line (and gloves and hat presumably) and did exactly the right thing to let her run around pointlessly when she tried to charge off. She'll soon learn running around in circles is hard work and doesn't get her anywhere and to answer your question it won't do her any harm.

On the other hand I do agree with others that if she's still attacking you with her front legs and teeth after two months training (assuming you've been working with her the whole time you have owned her) you might need to have a session or two with a professional to work on that behaviour.
 
A longer line gives the extra leverage needed if a horse bombs off. On a short line OP's young horse would almost certainly have been off up the field on the original spook, had she not had a long line attached. A long line gives you much more flexibility, and IMO is far safer for both horse and owner than a diddly little rope.
 
ihatework said:
Confused.com
I'd always lead an unhandled/sharp horse on a longer line.
Using a long line doesn't mean you have to stand 12' away!!
Closer is definitely safer - but a bit of extra line length can come in handy if they do try and get away from you
Click to expand...

I agree. I won't lead anything apart from an absolute dobbin on a normal rope. If they go up you are 'sucked under' or have to let go.

I used to buy in big bolshy youngsters (4yo, not necessarily handled as you would wish, as ones which had got topside of owners would be cheaper) for a company. Policy was that they all had a prelim vetting on the first day, on the way home, so before any re-training. One day the person who packed the lorry forgot the long rope and whilst the vet was attending to eyes the horse launched up on its hind legs and sucked them both right underneath holding the short rope.

I would not get to the rear of the horse at the end of a long rope, that would be pure folly. The idea of the long rope is that you have the choice weather to have it long or short, whereas with the short rope there is only one choice. I tend to avoid lunge ropes as there is too much knitting if things go awry, so you could get caught in it. 12ft is perfect for flexibility and safety IME.
 
laura_nash said:
This^^. I don't understand the advice either, it is the total opposite of what I was taught and have always done. The long line is there to use if needed, it doesn't mean you lead them from feet away!

Personally OP I think you are right to use a 12ft line (and gloves and hat presumably) and did exactly the right thing to let her run around pointlessly when she tried to charge off. She'll soon learn running around in circles is hard work and doesn't get her anywhere and to answer your question it won't do her any harm.

On the other hand I do agree with others that if she's still attacking you with her front legs and teeth after two months training (assuming you've been working with her the whole time you have owned her) you might need to have a session or two with a professional to work on that behaviour.
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Yes, always a hat and gloves, the front legs issue is becoming far and far less often, it was almost a daily issue, usually after I have brought her to the stable to have some training (picking feet out, grooming etc) I think it was a dominance thing to begin with. This hasn't happened for a few weeks, so I must say that yesterday was a little unexpected, hence her catching me out. I appreciate all the advice, I have had youngsters before, but never as un-handled as her.

Landcruiser said:
A longer line gives the extra leverage needed if a horse bombs off. On a short line OP's young horse would almost certainly have been off up the field on the original spook, had she not had a long line attached. A long line gives you much more flexibility, and IMO is far safer for both horse and owner than a diddly little rope.
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In fairness she would definitely have been off in the distance, she does not know the area at all either, which is a concern having thought about it, I think I will stay with the 12ft, however be sure to keep as close as possible, when safe :) Thank you
 
ihatework said:
Confused.com
I'd always lead an unhandled/sharp horse on a longer line.
Using a long line doesn't mean you have to stand 12' away!!
Closer is definitely safer - but a bit of extra line length can come in handy if they do try and get away from you
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree.

I don't necessarily think being closer means you're safer either. Sure, you're less likely to get double barrelled, but you're also more likely to get knocked over and trampled. Swings and roundabouts really! I'd rather have the flexibility of a longer line when handling a youngster.
 
ihatework said:
Confused.com
I'd always lead an unhandled/sharp horse on a longer line.
Using a long line doesn't mean you have to stand 12' away!!
Closer is definitely safer - but a bit of extra line length can come in handy if they do try and get away from you
Click to expand...

Exactly my thoughts. I'm sure we have all been on the bad end of rope burn.. having a long line saves you having to hang on for dear life as your darling 2 or 3 year old decides there's a monster in the bush.
 
Lintel said:
Exactly my thoughts. I'm sure we have all been on the bad end of rope burn.. having a long line saves you having to hang on for dear life as your darling 2 or 3 year old decides there's a monster in the bush.
Click to expand...

But I have never been on the bad end of rope burn in 50+ yrs with horses. Ime a longer rope just gives the horse more chance to think it has got away from you and really go for it. But I always lead in a rope halter, with a schooling whip if necessary and am always ready to nip unwanted behaviour in the bud. I much prefer a halter over a head collar for gentle but effective control.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
But I have never been on the bad end of rope burn in 50+ yrs with horses. Ime a longer rope just gives the horse more chance to think it has got away from you and really go for it. But I always lead in a rope halter, with a schooling whip if necessary and am always ready to nip unwanted behaviour in the bud. I much prefer a halter over a head collar for gentle but effective control.
Click to expand...

How do you deal with a full on fear without a long rope? I took my youngster out today for a schooling session in an unknown place. She was very likely to go up in this situation. So I put her on a lunge line prior to getting her off the box. Sure enough going to the school - up she went... she was corrected and we carried on and she didn't go up again in the whole session but if is been on a short line I'dve had a kicked in head and or a horse galloping round a strangers yard.long lines are a really useful tool and I've lost a lot more horses round a yard with a short rope than a long one over the past 30 years hence my love of a long line.
 
I think though the point here is that the OP has been handling this young horse for a couple of months, and she has got away from her and circled round her for "5/10 minutes"!! which to me is ridiculous (sorry) and not something I would find acceptable. If in addition she is rearing and boxing, she needs properly taking in hand and having some manners put on her. I agree that a long line can be very useful, but it's there for an emergency, not an impromptu lunge session which has basically taught the horse that she can do what she likes and get away with it. After two months handling (well a lot less than that actually) I would expect her to be leading sensibly off a lead rope.
 
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