Exuberant on lunge

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goodtimes

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My 5 year old sometimes turns himself inside out on the lunge, bucking, spinning etc. I'm putting it down to excitement as there is usually a trigger like other horses going past, being turned out and so on.

Touch wood, he has never done this when ridden...yet!

Two questions.

Have any of you got horses that can get excited to lunge to a pleasure to ride?

If he ever did this when ridden, how do you stay on a bucking bronco?

Thanks in advance.
 
HA! Know the feeling... Rio is finding it increasingly difficult to keep his excitement inside and you know full well when he needs to have a mess about as he wont go in his stable... so when you let him in the school he spends the majority of the time on his hind legs boxing and then prancing about.. luckily i dont deal with that so much when ridden although i wouldnt call him a quiet ride!

as to staying on a bucking bronco - relax... if you tense your legs you push your self out of the saddle (as well as pushing the horse on) also dont lean forward... other then that just dont panic... try and get the horses head from between its knees and it will be over before you know it! As long as the horse doesnt whip around you should have no problem sitting to it anyway :)
 
Yes of course! Lots of people put horses on the lunge in order to "get it out of the system"!

It's not the ideal obviously and most horses calm down with age and experience. Don't do it too often as it's not actually good for them to be tearing around on the end of a lunge line with you attached, it would be better to let them do it free and work them on a lunge with some decorum and purpose as ultimately lunging is an athletic exercise that should benefit the schooling but only if done calmly and methodically.

One way to achieve that is to keep asking for walk or steady in a calm voice and reward that when you (finally!) get it by stopping and treating (whatever treat means to you) until you have a horse that is listening. Or you could use two lines for a bit of initial control.
 
Ha Ha, don't worry, when I teach lunge lessons it sometimes worries clients when a horse turns itself inside out on the lunge, but it rarely translates that they will do the same ridden.

My rule is that before I attach the side reins they are pretty much free to play, especially in winter when they may not have had much freedom and turnout. Once the side reins are on it is time to work and concentrate, and I would do some transitions etc to make sure the horse is listening before having the rider mount.

I think having a bit of designated "play time" before work commences is good as long as when the side reins go on order is restored.

Good luck with your horse. :-)
 
Thank you for your replies. 9 times out of 10 he is lovely to lunge. Very obedient and seems to enjoy his work. He just gets so excited sometimes.
 
I will sometimes use a lunge pen to loose school my horse when she is overly fresh or I need to work on something in particular. She can go off like an absolute bomb and I always think 'Jeez I hope she doesn't do that when I am on board!'.

I don't see the point in having a battle with her with me on top as I don't get to ride everday and I am not the bravest of riders. I would rather her let off steam and then be focused, but never has her lunge/loose schooling explosions carried on once she has a rider on top. :)
 
Red-1 said:
Ha Ha, don't worry, when I teach lunge lessons it sometimes worries clients when a horse turns itself inside out on the lunge, but it rarely translates that they will do the same ridden.

My rule is that before I attach the side reins they are pretty much free to play, especially in winter when they may not have had much freedom and turnout. Once the side reins are on it is time to work and concentrate, and I would do some transitions etc to make sure the horse is listening before having the rider mount.

I think having a bit of designated "play time" before work commences is good as long as when the side reins go on order is restored.

Good luck with your horse. :-)
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This ^^^^ one of my horses used to understand once the side reins were on he had to behave. He was allowed his 6/7 mins of hooling around so long as he was polite, only 3 rules. Keep your distance from me, don't pull on the lunge line and when the lunge whip is raised you stop NOW :).
The raised lunge whip was a godsend as one day he did get away from me and the line was if course chasing him. I remember a friend saying don't be stupid you will chase him off, when I raised the whip. She ate her words as he stopped dead :). Worked once when he and he mates escaped into the huge field going absolutely bonkers. I had to call his name in a certain tone to get his attention. Then raised my whip. He stood while all the others carried on :). Big bowl of carrots :)
Boy do I miss him sometimes. (Retired in friends field)
 
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I think virtually every horse I've ever owned has been a nit wit on the lunge to one degree or another.
The best horse i ever owned (in terms of ridden work) was the naughtiest on the lunge........
 
I hardly ever lunge mine as I'd rather be on board doing it myself, it takes the same amount of time to tack up so why not.

The only time I do lunge is in the winter when the fields are too boggy for them to have a run around (she lives out 24/7 but can be precious about the ground) and let her have a good buck and rear before getting on. She's good to ride so I don't really bother about what she does on the lunge as long as it doesn't come near me!

Her favoured thing is to stand on the spot bucking and rearing and squealing like a pig!
 
Alf is fabulous to ride in the school - verging on angelic, but stick him on the lunge and, without fail he will have a mad, squealy, bouncy hooley. I don't really lunge him any more as his hind legs are knackered, but stuck him the lunge for 5 minutes the other day to see how sound he was looking - and he had a massive party! He has his 5 minutes of fun, then knuckles down and works.

I'd like to say he wouldn't dream of being naughty under saddle, but out of the school, he isn't entirely to be trusted not to bust a few moves!

He's 17 this year!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152332451330730&l=1288555905941441200
 
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My 21 year old mare likes to do the wall of death on the lunge if she can get away with it. I've found not carrying a whip helps to calm her (she very whip shy) but does make effective lunging more difficult; my voice commands have come on leaps and bounds :)
 
I really don't like it when they do this - especially if they've just come out of the stable and have cold muscles, can't be good for them.

I always make my horses walk around the arena a few times and do some changes of rein in walk before moving onto trot, same as if I am riding as a proper warm up is essential. Even if that means I lead them at first!!
 
Mine is the same. Good to ride, brilliant to lunge when in his gear, but if I lunge without a saddle/roller, he bucks and farts and loves it!
 
If you can train it out of them, it's better to. I do think that even allowing a period of "play" before working them on a lunge is encouraging a bad habit.

Not that everyone lunges at a show, but if you were to do so as I see many that do, the last thing you want is excitability at the end of a long line that you can't control. I've seen a few loose horses with 20ft lines trailing causing quite a bit of hilarious destruction!! :D

My take on it is that, the rules are (to horse); when attached to me by line or tack, you do as I say. When in the field, free, do as you like.
 
I insist on good behaviour from the off. I can't be @rsed with a horse who prats about on the lunge. Partly because for many years, I had to lunge in an open field, and a pratting horse could easily slip and injure itself.

I've had several who've come to me with ideas of their own about lunging, but within a day or two all have round to my way of thinking. I think that I may be a more skilled lunger than rider ;)!

I walk them first, for at least 5 minutes including changing the rein, without side reins/equiami etc. Build up to proper work, including lots of going up the long sides of the arena (if in one), then 5 mins free walk to cool down and chill at the end.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I insist on good behaviour from the off. I can't be @rsed with a horse who prats about on the lunge. Partly because for many years, I had to lunge in an open field, and a pratting horse could easily slip and injure itself.

I've had several who've come to me with ideas of their own about lunging, but within a day or two all have round to my way of thinking. I think that I may be a more skilled lunger than rider ;)!

I walk them first, for at least 5 minutes including changing the rein, without side reins/equiami etc. Build up to proper work, including lots of going up the long sides of the arena (if in one), then 5 mins free walk to cool down and chill at the end.
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I agree. I never lunge without a bridle, side reins or equi ami. I always have him walk calmly for at least 5 mins on both reins.

I never encourage him to play as I don't think it's a good idea.

I hope I'm dealing with it correctly which is to speak calmly and ask for a walk transition until I get one. He then gets a big pat and a rub.

When he does get excited though he broncs and plunges and yesterday he turned into face me still broncing. I will admit I got behind him with the whip and sent him forward so it was on my terms he was moving forwards then I asked for a downward transition.

Hope I did that bit right.

But like I say, 9 times out of 10 he is a gentleman and very mannerly to lunge.
 
goodtimes said:
When he does get excited though he broncs and plunges and yesterday he turned into face me still broncing. I will admit I got behind him with the whip and sent him forward so it was on my terms he was moving forwards then I asked for a downward transition.

Hope I did that bit right.
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Sounds right to me. Sending him forward should stop the broncs and stop the turning in, which is an absolute no no and you were right to get behind him to send him on.

It can be quite energetic, this lunging lark!

As other posters have said, though, many horses misbehave on the lunge but are good to ride, so I wouldn't worry about the broncs.
 
I think I am on same page as tiddlypom. I just can't abide it. Thoroughly bad behaviour.

I realise youngsters are a bit way hey about it but nip it in the bud or walk in hand with them on a large circle and gradually get them to go out on their own. Manners cost nothing. Bad manners when a horse is concerned could cost a pretty penny in vets bills if not more.... worth thinking about.
 
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