Difficult to lunge

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Cassy

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My mare rushes off on the lunge, bucking and cantering flat out. I can no longer hang on and today had to let go twice, which I know is not recommended.. She is a big gypsy cob and is very strong when she decides to do this. I have done lots of groundwork with her and she is well mannered but when I put her out on a circle she just goes. I started with a halter but now have a bridle on and the line is through the bit and over her head to the other side of the bit. Any suggestions please. I am not riding her at the moment as she had the winter off due to the wet winter.
 
I suggest you have a trainer ( tho hard with covid)

Or someone on the yard to help you lead her from the outside circle while you stand in the middle,
maybe put the lunge line onto her bit instead of cavasson
I myself prefer cavasson, maybe you could get someone experienced to ride as you lunge.
Or have two lunge line on on the outside one on the inside and use half the school cordon it off so she is kept within a certain space
Maybe have the inside side rein shorter so she cannot turn her head and use her shoulders to get away

it is possible when she rushes off, you walk across the school towards the wall and that way the wall should stop her if you time it right, if she spins round the other way repeat oon the other rein, they so stop eventually
 
I was lungeing in her bit but still couldnt stop her. The school fence isnt high enough to act as a stopping aid, she would either jump it or crash through it. My daughter came and worked her on two lunge lines and she didnt put a hoof wrong, but that was probably because she had worn herself out. I did aim her at a set up of poles thinking that might slow her down but no she cantered over them and got more excited. I just cant hold her when she take off like this.
 
I'd clip the bit onto the inside ring only. She should be mannerly enough that there's not so much tension on the line it pulls the bit through.

Doing this will make it much easier to stop her if she decides to bugger off as you'll be able to do a one rein stop.
 
There is a real art to lunging. If your daughter is able to show you how to lunge her than might help. An instructor would be ideal - but probably not possible in the current circumstances.

Its hard to advise precisely without seeing what is going wrong but she may never have been taught to lunge, she may be reacting to your body position, frightened of the presence of the lunge whip - or indeed think she is meant to long line and not understanding why there is a circle at all!

Do take care - wear proper shoes, gloves and a hat. I'm not normally a fan of boots but horses motorbiking around a circle can hurt themsleeves too so brushing boots and over reaches. If you have any choice at all - and it soudns like you might not - I would stop lunging until you can get some help.
 
Do you think it’s a horse confidence thing that it can’t balance? I have made a temporary round pen before - that helps and is one solution

in your situation though, I would concentrate on improving the trot work - with poles, small jumps etc and leave the canter work till later.

Look up other groundwork things as well to make it less tedious for the horse. So much inspiration available on-line now.
 
I'd second the advice to get a trainer - but appreciate that's challenging at the moment.

I have had some success with stopping horses that sod off :D by putting a roller on them, and then running the lunge line from your hand through the inside bit ring to the roller. This bends the horse towards you when it attempts to depart.

If your mare is just going faster - then don't stop her. Stand central, do nothing and let her fly round until she has had enough and breaks into trot. Immediately send her forward to canter, and keep her going, with the lunge whip if necessary. Only when YOU are ready is she allowed to trot and then maybe walk.

Running away on the lunge is a lazy way to avoid work - and most humans fall for it by crooning 'steady...steady...whoa...steady'. Don't fall for it. :p
 
I find running the lunge line from the outside bit ring to the inside bit ring under the chin works quite well. When I first got the ginger knobber he’d fling himself backwards and try and bugger off but I am quick to pull his head and put my weight behind it. Then I’d send him off and if he effed off I’d make him keep going and going and going. After about 2-3 sessions he turned into a little peach and hasn’t tried it since.
 
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