A Warning when lunging fresh horses.... PLEASE read!

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KatB

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Please please please make sure there is nothing they can get caught up in, even if it is most unlikely, make it impossible.

In my many years of being round horses, I have lunged a lot and never had happen what did last night and wouldn't want anyone else to experience it!

I lunged my girly who was a little bit fresh but not silly, she had her bridle on and I had twisted the reins up and tied them up with the throat latch as always. Halfway through our "warm up" laps, L did a big leap forwards with both front legs, and somehow got her let caught in the reins. God knows how, but I think they had slipped up her neck and created a bit of a loop where they had been round her neck further down.

Being supple well looked after leather, it didn't break, so my poor girly panicked and was throwing herself about trying to get free, and I can honestly say I have only felt that helpless round horses once before, and that was when the horse ended up dead
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Eventually she stopped for a minute and let me unbuckle them, freeing her, and thank god, she is completely unharmed.

So PLEASE whenever lunging, take the reins off completely as no matter how tightly you coil them up, there is still a small chance they can get caught, and its just not worth taking.
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This is why I have a seperate lungeing bridle with no reins on - sadly I have seen a similar thing happen, but luckily the leather snapped. At the end of the day you can pick up a cheap leather bridle for £20 and a snaffle bit for less than £5 - it's just not worth risking it. Hope you mare is ok and not too worried by it
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Hope she's alright. Thanks for posting warning. Its something I always worry about as I've seen it 'nearly' happen before. Same with various gadgets people lunge with. I even use side reins with very thin old leather straps to hold them to the horse so they would definitely break if a leg went through them.
 
Phew - glad you are both ok. Its so easy to get complacent about these things. I had a lycra hood incident a few years ago, we had used it for years and years with no problems then one day it slipped, or got rubbed out of place, went over her eyes and by morning had caused two ulcers on the eye surface. Terribly painful for her and a painful vet bill for me - never again
 
Wow it just goes to show that it really can happen?!
I have always spent just those extra couple of minutes to remove the reins when lunging. I also use a passoa from time to time and if I did have the reins on it would be a nightmare of a tangle.
Glad to hear your mare is ok. Scary for you tho'
 
Gosh what a scare for you and for Lucky.

I lunge my 4yo in a cheap synthetic bridle and always complain about changing his bit over (kk ultra). Wont moan anymore though as clearly a stitch in time can save nine.

My sons pony got her foreleg through her martingale neckstrap one and just stood waiting to be set free, but babies are different arent they and one slip can ruin them. So glad this has turned out well for you
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OMG what a scare for you both, so pleased she is ok now xx

I had a similar experience once with a horse that was ridden then put on a walker to cool off, he had his reins twisted round and put through the throat lash of his bridle but still managed to stand on them as he was walking round. Luckily that time the reins broke but the poor horse managed to cut his mouth.

Like a lot of people that have replied I have a separate bridle for lunging.
 
I do have a reinless bridle for lunging, but only because I don't keep my tack at the stables, but leave lunging stuff there, never really thought about it from that angle.

Hope pony is ok today
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i always take off the reins and noseband (not sure why the noseband - habit though) when i lunge - but i had a similar thing with my horse not too long ago = got off and she put her head down for a split second and got her leg over the reins - and they didn't break - she spun on the spot on ice (god knows how she didn't come down) until she listened to me and stood with her head down for me to unbuckle them - thankfully shes's pretty tructing of me and listend pretty quickly and she's ok. stupid stupid school girl error from me and i'm highly ashamed - but these things do happen
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I have always taken the reins off my bridle for lungeing ......as I also have a fear of them getting caught up in them
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KatB ...... I can't imagine how scary that must have been and not being able to do anything and basically just wait and pray for her to calm down so you can get near her to undo the buckle
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Thankfully she wasn't hurt . Lucky girl .

It just shows how anything can happen, horses !! eh ?? Really are they worth the hassle at times ? ?
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Had a scary moment myself yesterday, madam decided to jump out of the arena breaking the top railing
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swollen knee for her antics
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Col x
 
Just for info for everyone: I was taught to loop reins up differently. Much safer in my opinion. Reins as normal and hanging softly over the horse's neck. Make sure the buckle end sits quite high up the neck. Pull the offside bit of rein so it is very long, nearside bit gets very short. Put your hand THROUGH the gap between the short bit of nearside rein and the horse's lower jaw and grasp the long bit of offside rein. Pull the offside bit of rein through the nearside bit so you have a big loop. Loop this bit of rein AGAIN over the hrose's head. Thread the throatlash through one of the loops pretty much as normal. Much tighter arrangement and much more difficult for the horse to get tangled up. When you come to ride the horse simply undo the throatlash, take the 2nd loop back over horse's head, do throatlash up. Bob's your uncle.
 
oh, its so horrible when you are helpless like that!!

i twist the reins up into the throatlash but also rebuckle the reins through a D ring on the saddle or roller to stop them coming forwards.
works really well and also good for long reining too.

i only do this now having had a horse have a loopy fit and the reins coming perilously close to coming over it's head!
 
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Cant really understand who would keep the reins on anyway

[/ QUOTE ]


A majority of people I know actually!!! Including pro's etc, so not that uncommon
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A majority of people I know actually!!! Including pro's etc, so not that uncommon
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Oh sorry pro! No need to be snappy! Just thought common sense..its obviosusly safer!
 
Thank god you are both ok, it must have been awful for you.

I have a slip head (i think its called) which I have a bit attached. I use this to lunge and when I ride and lead. May be worth doing as you're not messing about with reins all the time then.
xx
 
its very common to lunge with reins on- i think the majority of big yards do as it saves time.

also i always lunge with reins on if i am going to ride afterwards.
 
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Oh sorry pro!

[/ QUOTE ] that came across as sarcasm to me?!

The smirk was because you seemed very confident that people didn't lunge with reins on, when I know a lot of very good horse people that do, and obviously other people on this post that have, I don;t see how that could be seen as sarcastic?!!
 
Wow, it just shows doesn't it. Glad horse is ok. I wouldn't think twice about lunging with reins on and tied up in the throatlach, have been doing it for years, especially if I'm planning on riding the horse in the same session. I wouldn't ordinarily have given it a moments thought. Thanks for highlighting this, hope you weren't too shaken up.
 
Im glad she ok bless you both big shock for both of you!! I used to leave reins on Beau wouldnt settle on the lunge head throwing around, pulling a lot and front leg stiking out so I took them off and he completu chilled out and I tried it again and got the same reaction! Very stange indeed so now have a lungeing bridle.
 
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