Horse bolting & squeeling on lunge... ideas?!

[LowenKi]

I use lunging primarily as a winter tool when I struggle with access to hacking and often our outdoor arena is flooded and or frozen... sometimes both!

My new chap doesn't really seem to agree that lunging is a good idea. He's clearly been lunged in the past, but I struggle to get him to do ANY trot work or transitions as he just likes to bolt round and scream at the top of his voice! It almost looks like he's enjoying himself...!

I've tried him in side reins and a pessoa (never got it connected up, just with the fluffy bit round his bum to get him used to the idea in case he'd never seen one before)... and even equipment free - which was the worst idea! Tried with lunge whip and without... I am used to a bit of a bronc and a play for a few minutes at the start of a session but I've never come across a horse who will happily do this continually! Sometimes I worry that he will fall over, I don't want to keep trying unless I've got a method in mind to try and work him through this.

It's a really useful tool for me and my horses, is there a way of making him more accepting of the lunge?

Any ideas or previous experiences would be much appreciated! Is it just excitement and I need to lunge him more?! Not sure whether I'm doing the right thing by persevering... any ideas welcome!

 

[Queenbee]

I use lunging primarily as a winter tool when I struggle with access to hacking and often our outdoor arena is flooded and or frozen... sometimes both!

My new chap doesn't really seem to agree that lunging is a good idea. He's clearly been lunged in the past, but I struggle to get him to do ANY trot work or transitions as he just likes to bolt round and scream at the top of his voice! It almost looks like he's enjoying himself...!

I've tried him in side reins and a pessoa (never got it connected up, just with the fluffy bit round his bum to get him used to the idea in case he'd never seen one before)... and even equipment free - which was the worst idea! Tried with lunge whip and without... I am used to a bit of a bronc and a play for a few minutes at the start of a session but I've never come across a horse who will happily do this continually! Sometimes I worry that he will fall over, I don't want to keep trying unless I've got a method in mind to try and work him through this.

It's a really useful tool for me and my horses, is there a way of making him more accepting of the lunge?

Any ideas or previous experiences would be much appreciated! Is it just excitement and I need to lunge him more?! Not sure whether I'm doing the right thing by persevering... any ideas welcome!

to be honest, if you haven't already done so I would get all the checks done, perhaps a physio out as well before assuming its just excitement (although you may have already done this). You say he is your new boy, have you spoken to his previous owners and asked how he was to lunge with them? It may give you some insight into the issue. I would personally desist from lunging if he behaves like that and would rather see how he behaves loose schooling. Continuing to lunge a horse that is behaving like this will only result in some kind of injury or long term strain. If he winds himself up to that extent you will not calm him down or have him relaxed enough to work him properly, certainly I would not use a training aid such as a pessoa on him whilst he is so tense... this will cause a whole additional can of worms, and if he doesn't have problems now... he will have problems later.

Perhaps take him out for a long tiring hack and then bring him in and see if you can get some form of sense out of him on the lunge for 5 mins, try to only walk him as a cool down and ignore transitions, just focus on calm.

 

[Goldenstar]

My pet hate is horses who have been allowed to 'play ' on the lunge in my view it's dangerous and serves no useful purpose.
I think you have to go back to basics and work for a while with the horse quite close to you and work on eststablising obedience to the walk and halt commands
Then proceed to trotting as soon you have walk halt on a small circle sorted
If he squeals / pisses about stop him at once with a sharp no command and and give him a sharp correction with the rien .
If its safe I don't hesitate to run them into a wall if they mess around I just don't tolerate it .
It takes time to sort determined players you need to repeat three times a week at least and be determined but keep in your mind he's been taught to do this he's thinks it's ok you have to show him it's not what you require/ allow.

 

[AmyMay]

Try lunging him with two reins. Or just riding him.

 

[Polotash]

Firstly, he's not bolting, if he was he'd have gone straight through the fence and probably still be going. Anyway, that aside!

I would:

- Put side reins on, plus harbridge, this will stop him sticking his head in the air, but go loose as soon as he lowers. (I attach these to the bit and the lunge rein to the english cavesson, but mine are all good, so see my notes on this below!)
- Put a rope/ build a cont line of fences across E-B so you have a 20 x 20 space.
- Start him on a small circle, so that you keep your perfect triangle - he's the flat base, the lunge rein is one side and the whip the other, and you are the point. You must be very disciplined about keeping this shape. Maintain a contact with the lunge rein.
- Do lots of walk, halt, walk so he learns your voice aids and to respect you.
- Allow a small trot on the small circle, and then immediately back to walk, until he's listening to you. Because he's on a small circle you should be able to really get hold of him if you tries to trot off or canter. Settle him back to walk if you do have to get hold of him, so he has a reward for the wanted behaviour, having been told off for the unwanted.
- Don't do any fast trot/ large circles/ canter for a few sessions until he gets the idea that he's not to hoon around!

Are you lunging off the bit/ cavessson by the way? If he is very strong a Portugese cavesson gives more control than english, or you could try clipping the lunge rein onto the far bit ring, then running the rein up over the head and through the near bit ring. DON'T do this if you think he might get away from you however, you don't want him to tread on the lunge rein with it attached to his bit.

 

[LowenKi]

Thanks for your replies, interesting thought that he might have been 'taught' to play like this on the lunge. Personally I think it's really dangerous and can't understand why this behaviour would have been encouraged.

I've arranged to borrow a harbridge from a friend so will try this combined with the side reins. I'm lunging him in a designated lunge pen rather than a large arena so no chance that he'll really get away from me. It's like he just switches onto autopilot and doesn't listen to me.

For reference, have had him 8 weeks, had all the checks done, nothing wrong with him he is sound and fit and well. He doesn't exhibit this behaviour at ANY other time than being on the lunge. I've only tried to lunge him a few times - each time I kept thinking that the squeeling, cantering and bucking would stop after a few minutes and then I could work him... each time it didn't stop. PS as I mentioned, I didn't have the Pessoa attached, I was planning to use it once he'd warmed up/settled down but that time just didn't come!

Thank you for your tips I shall try a firm hand, small circles etc and see if I can get him to realise that being on the lunge is about listening to me, not just playing around!

 

[Goldenstar]

Good luck I love this type of project .

 

[LowenKi]

Ha ha Goldenstar - currently I am not loving it! Tehe! Cheeky boy.

I'll keep you informed if there is any progress! Really want to get this cracked before deepest winter comes. I'll PM you if still having trouble, thanks for your help! x

 

[YasandCrystal]

I think it is common to expect some exuberance and behaviour you wouldn't get ridden on the lunge. All of mine can throw in the bucks and broncs, but do settle to listening and working on the lunge.

I would use 2 lunge lines as someone suggested and maybe just long line in walk until your horse is properly listening. A harbridge, de Gogue or a pessoa will help, but it sounds like he is not relaxing at all and that's what you want is familiarity and relaxing on the lunge. Perhaps he was free schooled badly and never lunged?

 

[LowenKi]

Thanks for your thoughts YasandCrystal - the first time I tried I just kept thinking "Aaaaaaany minute now... he'll steady off..."! Nope! I'll try the two lines approach too.

I think this must be a learned behaviour you're right - I'm going to try and bore him to death with it too, repeat it regularly each week like Goldenstar suggests. The squeals of excitement will hopefully fade!

 

[Cortez]

One of the major benefits of lunging is it is a great way to teach the young horse to listen to you and obey commands - so that seems to have passed your lad's previous trainer by entirely! Presumably you are saying "whoa" and tweaking the rein to tell him to stop, so that's the first thing you've got get going before you can move on. Someone has already suggested running the lunge line through the near side bit ring, over the poll and clipping to the far side bit ring; this is a good way of getting your point across if the horse is being a t*t, as is using a stallion chain across the nose and giving him a sharp yank if he doesn't listen. SOMETIMES you have to be quite FIRM to get the p*ssing-about horse to listen to you; this is better than training him to not listen and to potentially hurt himself.

 

[McW]

make him walk, walk, walk.

This might sound odd, but walk him around the school to begin with you at his shoulder and when you stop make him stop until he get its. May sure you say the word stand.. Eventually ask him to walk on a circle. If he does try and bog off, pull him in and do it hard, stop him from going anywhere. This might sound harsh but he will soon realise walking is better than being told off. ETA keep your hand low when you are asking him to slow.

You don't say he's a nutter, so the pulling in option should be ok. If he's a horse who will square up to you then I wouldn't. I tought my horse to lunge, who also was a bog offer and thought it was playtime.

 

[JennBags]

My previous horse hated having the Pessoa around his bum. Lungeing without he was fine, but when the Pessoa was on (not attached) he did the same thing.

I think Goldenstar's advice is excellent, also agree with Amymay that 2 reins may be a good idea

 

[D66]

i'd long rein in the field until he's obedient and then longrein around your lunge pen gradually moving into the centre and keeping the two reins. It sounds like he has learned that it's alright to hoon around on the lunge, I think you would be safer working from OK behaviour to new lessons staying away from the lunge pen until he has learnt voice commands and to trust/repect you.