Help with lunging

[sjdress]

Young horse in less work and less turnout due to the weather. Wanted to do a quick lunge before getting on but she was really naughty and kept turning into me, charging off then leaping and turning into me etc. I wasn’t quick enough I feel to send her forward from behind! Any tips would be appreciated. I hardly ever lunge so skills aren’t quite what they once were!

 

[ycbm]

Keep the line short and the circle small until she behaves, pull her head towards you if the back end starts to threaten you in any way. If she heads towards you step sideways and let the circle move. 5 minutes on a small circle won't damage her and might keep you safe of you have no option but to be alone.

I hope that helps.
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[ycbm]

Are you allowed to loose school? I might do that first if I had time to tread the divots back in!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Make sure you lunge in a bridle and even lunge from it if the horse is being that naughty, I use a leather showing cupla it attaches to both bit rings and has a ring in the centre to attach the line, I find then you have a much better degree of control and it they are prone to going all over the place or change direction it doesn't matter.

It might even be worth using a roller and some loose side reins for a while until she calms down, I find then horses associate lunging with proper work not just to hooley round.

I would be careful free schooling a very fresh horse I've seen a few run into the fence and they often churn up the surface, my 2 horses have always found it highly exciting so I don't do it and alot of yards don't allow it anyway.

If you have instructor might be worth having a lesson to help you lunge it's a bit of an art and takes quite a while to master and do properly.

 

[sjdress]

Thank you both, some good things I will try there. No we wouldn’t be allowed to free school. I think some in hand work might do her well too as she is obviously being a bit disrespectful!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thank you both, some good things I will try there. No we wouldn’t be allowed to free school. I think some in hand work might do her well too as she is obviously being a bit disrespectful!

Yes ground work will definitely help then maybe try some poles it will give her something to focus on.

One of my horses can be an idiot after time off especially in winter, I just start with 1 pole as several can be too exciting to begin with, then once his calm I add a another one and just increase slowly.

 

[tristars]

can you let it loose to run off the energy a bit, explode if needed

lunge off a bit if needed

be careful making the circle too small in case of kicking out at you

use 3 trotting poles to add interest and make it focus

hat, gloves, footwear suitable, obviously

repeat daily til it settles, gets used to a little lunge work

 

[sbloom]

If you'd like to study a little on lunging, have a look at Amy Skinner Horsemanship, her course in lunging comes extremely highly recommended. You hear so many conflicting things about lunging, done well it's very valuable, but few people do it well.

 

[LEC]

You shouldn’t move away from the horse in groundwork or lunging. You shouldn’t really move at all, easier said than done. A lot of it is all done through body language. I have taught mine to move out through pushing them on the cheek which is a Ben Atkinson thing I learnt through Horsemanship Showcase. He makes some very interesting points about it all and it has improved what I have done. A smaller circle will help you and then being really strict with the lunge whip about keeping them out. You might be better with a flag as more prominent aid. You might find sticking poles on the floor helpful in a square to keep them out.

 

[SEL]

I find a plastic bag on the end of an old lunge whip works for a flag - especially if they're being very naughty and full of themselves. Just gets them out of your space that bit more quickly. Roll on nicer weather please.

@LEC does Ben have a video re: pushing out on the cheek?

 

[Cortez]

Make sure you are always positioned slightly behind the shoulder - but not further back than the middle of the barrel - this will keep the horse moving forwards/away from you, and less likely to turn in. Never mind what you "should" be doing in terms of standing still (curses upon you BHS!), you will probably have to keep stepping to the side to keep behind the shoulder, and lunging in shapes other than a circle (i.e. ovals, on the straightaway) is of far more use than just standing there grinding out "perfect" circles (actually quite bad if done repetitively). If the horse is hooliganning about, run the lunge line through the nearside bit ring, over the poll and clip to the far side bit ring. And USE the lunge whip to tap on either the top of the croup (less likely to kick) or the hock when using the verbal cues; stop tapping when the horse moves: the whip is an aid not a device to either scare or punish the horse. Wear gloves.

Sbloom is quite right; lunging is a wonderful training tool, rarely used well.

 

[LEC]

I find a plastic bag on the end of an old lunge whip works for a flag - especially if they're being very naughty and full of themselves. Just gets them out of your space that bit more quickly. Roll on nicer weather please.

@LEC does Ben have a video re: pushing out on the cheek?

get past Steve and he talks a lot about lunging and his methods. I found it super helpful