BHS lunging

[jenni:)]

Hi all,

Could someone who has done the stage 2 or 3 lunge exam recently please tell me what they are actually looking for? Have asked many people but all did it many years ago and it seems things have changed...
Have heard it's notoriously hard to pass and I need to pass it as I've already booked my teaching for afterwards which cannot be refunded.
I will get a proper lesson at a BHS centre too but would like to look what I'm doing / practised on my own horse first before I rock up there.

So, do you lunge with your rope in one hand or two (as if leading?)
Can you or can you not step back / follow the horse slightly and make a small circle yourself?
How do you change your coil when you change the rein because I just can't seem to get it despite being shown many a time.
And what do you do with your stick when you change the rein?
How do they like you to send the horse out?
Someone told me you're not to click/make other encouraging sounds that mean forwards?

Please help, I'm so lost in it all lol and can't find any consistent videos that show these parts online.
Thanks so much!

 

[Irish Sally]

I completed my stage 2 Lunge last year. What they're mainly looking for is confidence. If you're not confident it really shows. You can Lunge with either one hand or two. It's not a fail either way. Two hands is best though in case you get a strong horse.
I was told you can step back with one leg and pivot. They're not supposed to like you following the horse too much.
Changing your coil then. If you're struggling with this it shows you need more lunging practice. If you buy a Lunge rope you could practise coiling it at home
Your Lunge whip. It explains how to change it in the stage 2 book.You put it under your outside armpit when changing the rein
Again sending a horse out. You need to be shown this in real life.
Clicking is OK once it's effective. If you're clicking for the 20 mins and the horse isn't listening to you that's when you fail.

 

[Parrotperson]

ok. deep breath!

When I did it ( awhile ago so I'm happy to be corrected)

1. Lunge rope in ONE hand. whip in the other. so if lunging on the left rein then line in left hand etc
2. no stepping back as it unbalances you and you could fall over. Not a good look! you should stand as still as possible (whilst obviously following the horse on its circle). If you walk a circle the horse isn't working properly at all.
3.Practise. Tie the end of your line to a door knob and practise letting it out and gathering out up and changing hands!!
4.Change your whip behind you always. No waving it in the horse's face.
5.stand still allow the line and put the whip in a position slightly behind the horse to encourage him away from you. (difficult one to explain if I'm honest)
6. No clicking indeed. You use your whip for forward encouragement along with proper commands "Walk on" "T(e)rot" etc etc.


Please go and get some lessons lunging. I'd say more than one if you're struggling with the line. Good Luck.

 

[limestonelil]

Can you do a lesson straight away at a BHS centre centre, then you'll know what needs attention and correct BHS practice. Then do another one just before the test.
I did pass, but was very surprised by examiner's comments!

 

[Parrotperson]

I completed my stage 2 Lunge last year. What they're mainly looking for is confidence. If you're not confident it really shows. You can Lunge with either one hand or two. It's not a fail either way. Two hands is best though in case you get a strong horse.
I was told you can step back with one leg and pivot. They're not supposed to like you following the horse too much.
Changing your coil then. If you're struggling with this it shows you need more lunging practice. If you buy a Lunge rope you could practise coiling it at home
Your Lunge whip. It explains how to change it in the stage 2 book.You put it under your outside armpit when changing the rein
Again sending a horse out. You need to be shown this in real life.
Clicking is OK once it's effective. If you're clicking for the 20 mins and the horse isn't listening to you that's when you fail.

thanks. That's changed a bit since I did it although not too much. Yes I should have mentioned two hands ok for a strong horse! We weren't allowed to step back for safety reasons.

But absolutely get confident by being taught it in real life OP.

 

[Backtoblack]

Nightmare

 

[jenni:)]

Thanks so so much everyone! I think my housemates are going to get lunged around the kitchen tonight ...

 

[Tarragon]

Oh dear! I would have said I was effective at lunging, but the way I was taught looks like to be the opposite of 90% of that!

• Lunge rein in leading hand and coil and whip in the other.
• Walk in a circle with the horse
• Whip is used to either move the horse out (point at shoulder), impulsion (point at quarters) or slow down (under leading arm and line and point in front of head)
• Change of rein is draw horse towards you, swap coil and whip with leading hand and send away on other rein

That would be a fail then

 

[blitznbobs]

Bloody glad the examiners werent watching me lunge my baby for the first time then …
Definitely a lot of following the horse, definitely two hands (tbh I am surprised that one is considered correct especially for a horse you dont know )
But i can change the rein so I would probably get that bit ok

 

[Dave's Mam]

Oh dear! I would have said I was effective at lunging, but the way I was taught looks like to be the opposite of 90% of that!

• Lunge rein in leading hand and coil and whip in the other.
• Walk in a circle with the horse
• Whip is used to either move the horse out (point at shoulder), impulsion (point at quarters) or slow down (under leading arm and line and point in front of head)
• Change of rein is draw horse towards you, swap coil and whip with leading hand and send away on other rein

That would be a fail then

Yep, this is me too.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Hi all,

Could someone who has done the stage 2 or 3 lunge exam recently please tell me what they are actually looking for? Have asked many people but all did it many years ago and it seems things have changed...
Have heard it's notoriously hard to pass and I need to pass it as I've already booked my teaching for afterwards which cannot be refunded.
I will get a proper lesson at a BHS centre too but would like to look what I'm doing / practised on my own horse first before I rock up there.

So, do you lunge with your rope in one hand or two (as if leading?)
Can you or can you not step back / follow the horse slightly and make a small circle yourself?
How do you change your coil when you change the rein because I just can't seem to get it despite being shown many a time.
And what do you do with your stick when you change the rein?
How do they like you to send the horse out?
Someone told me you're not to click/make other encouraging sounds that mean forwards?

Please help, I'm so lost in it all lol and can't find any consistent videos that show these parts online.
Thanks so much!

I did my stage 3 BHSAI in 1980.

Lunging was

Keep in the middle of the circle and don't walk round

1. keep a triangle going down the lunge line to horses face and the whip towards its rump for pushing horse forward.
2. never let the horse turn in when you ask it to whoa
3. Use voice higher and encouraging on upward transitions and slower and lower for downward
4. always wear hard hat and gloves
5. when changing the rein disconnect side reins turn the horse the other way and reconnect the side reins
6. always keep a contact on the lunge rein never let it slack
7. don't let the lunge rein get twisted
8. always use a lunging cavasson
9. if the horse does turn in ( though usual horses are well trained for BHS) but if not push the horses front end out onto the circle tell it to stand, walk back into the middle and try again, they get the message in the end.
10. when you walk forward to change reins tuck the whip handle under your arm our the way and then change the horse round ( once you disconnect side reins) step back into the middle and retreive the whip into the other hand.
11. always use front boots and back brushing boots
12. 20 minds lunging is equivalent to 1 hr schooling.
13. if the horses cuts the circle smaller, point the lunge whip to the shoulder with gentle movement and say *out*
14. always gather the lunge rein loops as you walk towards the horse so horse or you does not get tangle in it.
15. never walk back to the stable with side reins on the bit
16. clip the the side to the lunging roller rings
17. watch the horse not the circle so you don't get dizzy
18. step carefully as you circle so you don't lose balance
19. praise the horse when it does it correctly
20. Say walk on.......... Trrrrot on and canter higher voice
21. trrroting and wwwwallllking...... and Whoooaaa in lower voice

That's the basic stuff

 

[scats]

I don’t remember that much about mine but I remember the two of us who were lunging at that time being questioned at the end- usual things like “when might you lunge a horse”

They wanted to see the horse actually working and not just slopping along. Tuck the whip under your arm facing backwards while you change rein etc.
They want to see someone competent and safe, who is able to use the equipment without getting in a muddle.

I passed it as I knew what they were looking for, but you want to see my lunging at home Its very much not the BHS way!