horse takes off on lunge

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Cassy

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My horse has always been difficult at the beginning of a lungeing session. She goes out onto the circle and then takes off at an controllable canter. I hang on but am concerned that she might fall over or injure herself. This morning i could hardly stand up when she slowed up, i was so dizzy. I lunge her off a monty roberts headcollar. I have tried lungeing off a bridle with and without side reins but i still had no control. She is not a high spirited horse but is a heavy, strong horse. After her initial blow out she settles and is quite respnsive on tbe lunge. Any suggestions please.
 
Can you loose school her until she has got rid of the excess energy - just let her go, and when she has done, send her on do some more. That way she will find it isn't such a good idea, doing more than she had bargained for, and hooning won't be something she enjoys but come under the category of work.
 
As above, but put in some jumps.
I would use verbal commands and a long whip to turn her back and fro, make it fun, encourage her when she does something right. other than that keep quiet.
Ask yourself, why are you lungeing, just like any other session you need goals.
Gets a BHSII to show you how to lunge a difficult horse, I have seen the AI training session, and they are given a nice quiet horse.
I use long reins and a bridle if I don't have a proper cavesson [ie not a soft webbing thing from China].
Me, I'd loose school. in a smallish school with high walls.
 
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This is usually because the horse has been taught that lunging is for letting off excess energy .
I never let horses play on the lunge it's dangerous for the horse and the person lunging , but often horses you buy are exactly as you describe .
Things to try
I would use a bridle and clip the lunge line to the off side and pass it over the horses head and through the bit ring on the near side .
I would use the summer to try to fix when it's warm and you work at things .
I would lunge daily or every other day while your trying to get your point across you don't need to do it for long .
I would lunge after exercise while you trying to establish good behaviour .
I would start doing lots of walk halt transitions while I moved with the horse with it quite close to me .
It my horses start mucking about I run them straight into the wall no messing this of course only works if you have a safe solid wall they sharp learn that's the reward you get for silly behaviour and give up
You usually can get horses through this if your are persistent but it can take a far bit of effort .
 
Goldenstar said:
This is usually because the horse has been taught that lunging is for letting off excess energy .
I never let horses play on the lunge it's dangerous for the horse and the person lunging , but often horses you buy are exactly as you describe .
Things to try
I would use a bridle and clip the lunge line to the off side and pass it over the horses head and through the bit ring on the near side .
I would use the summer to try to fix when it's warm and you work at things .
I would lunge daily or every other day while your trying to get your point across you don't need to do it for long .
I would lunge after exercise while you trying to establish good behaviour .
I would start doing lots of walk halt transitions while I moved with the horse with it quite close to me .
It my horses start mucking about I run them straight into the wall no messing this of course only works if you have a safe solid wall they sharp learn that's the reward you get for silly behaviour and give up
You usually can get horses through this if your are persistent but it can take a far bit of effort .
Click to expand...

yep, some good ideas, and some are scary!
I would absolutely make sure this mare is perfectly mannered in stable, is tied up for grooming etc, and knows ground handling, any deviation from good behaviour needs to be nipped in the bud.
Black and white, no grey areas.
Check teeth and saddle, and diet.
 
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Goldenstar said:
This is usually because the horse has been taught that lunging is for letting off excess energy .
I never let horses play on the lunge it's dangerous for the horse and the person lunging , but often horses you buy are exactly as you describe .
Things to try
I would use a bridle and clip the lunge line to the off side and pass it over the horses head and through the bit ring on the near side .
I would use the summer to try to fix when it's warm and you work at things .
I would lunge daily or every other day while your trying to get your point across you don't need to do it for long .
I would lunge after exercise while you trying to establish good behaviour .
I would start doing lots of walk halt transitions while I moved with the horse with it quite close to me .
It my horses start mucking about I run them straight into the wall no messing this of course only works if you have a safe solid wall they sharp learn that's the reward you get for silly behaviour and give up
You usually can get horses through this if your are persistent but it can take a far bit of effort .
Click to expand...

I have had a few in like this, they have been allowed to go round at their own speed when fresh and it takes time and a lot of effort to sort out, it is potentially dangerous so needs to be dealt with, as above is exactly what I have done and it does work if you are consistent, the problem with letting them loose school is that the behaviour is just transferred to being loose and I have known a few that exploded in anticipation before they have been released which can become even more of an issue.
 
I think GS suggestions. I haven't seen that letting a horse hoon around loose ('loose schooling') actually teaches them to be calmer on the lunge.
 
Thanks for those suggestions. She is a well mannered mare and I have owned her for the last 7 years so know her well. I suppose I haven't done regular lunging sessions because of this problem. I don't have the facilities for loose schooling and not sure that would help. I think I will try to be more regular and see if this helps.
 
Clodagh said:
I think GS suggestions. I haven't seen that letting a horse hoon around loose ('loose schooling') actually teaches them to be calmer on the lunge.
Click to expand...

Well, if they think that as soon as you start to lunge they are going to pxel off, then you need to change something, and that can be loose schooling, I had my three doing circus type training in the small school every day in winter when they could not go out due to ice, they were 10 months, 4 years and 9 years, amazing fun for all, and seeing my 4yo jumping the blue barrel wings, with foally jumping 15" cross poles and mum leading them, it was super.
They could soon do a figure of eight, change direction, and halt on command, maybe foally was a bit puzzled, but she went on to be a total star.
My first loose school lane [24" jumps had no exit, so the 4 year old stopped, then did a 90 degree turn and jumped the 3 foot inner rail from a standing start.
He was cleverer than me!
 
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With a powerful horse I would be putting kit on that left it pulling against itself when it took a grip and in the initial re training, a bit that made it think twice about running straight through it.

Whoever started your horse Op, made a right royal mess of teaching it to lunge and failed to teach voice aids. The result being a horse who knows it can take a grip, probably get loose and possibly hurt you or itself. We all know the results of a horse towing a line behind it.

It is fixable but unless you have enclosed facilities it will be difficult, once a horse has been taught to be a rude oik on the lunge they will often keep taking advantage.
 
Don't loose school unless your facilities are enclosed. If you think a horse running at speed on the lunge is dangerous (and it is!) they can do as much damage to themselves if not more if you loose school them in an open area with normal siding. I've known horses go over (and in one case through!) the arena siding. I've also seen horses lamed as they have caught their legs in the fencing. It gives me the willies every time I see people do it.

Golden star mentioned the use of what is called an "overhead check" - the line from the far side bit over the head and through the near side bit. You can also use an under jaw check doing exactly the same thing but with the line running from offside bit under the jaw through the nearside bit. Either helps to gain control by helping the horse turn its head to you.

Others are also right about needing to teach the horse to lunge properly - but that can often entail teaching the person too. If not in fact teaching the person first! And fixing a horse difficult to lunge is harder than getting it right in the first place. Good luck!
 
The problem is very fixable. Echo GS with the lunge rein over the top of the head, if they pull it is a bit of a pulley and becomes stronger.

Jay used to be a bit like this. I would set him off and as soon as he set off I would stop him again. I mean pull him up short. I did quite a few sessions teaching him to set off in walk, and to stay in walk until told otherwise. As I was only asking for walk we had the circle quite small.

With the rein over the top of his head, as soon as he went for it I could really pull him up, then walk on again. As he got better the circle could get bigger.

Because walk is a hard thing mentally for them to hold I would do this work after he had been worked for the day, initially.

Once he was good to go I found the discipline instilled in him meant that the trot was already fixed! It also meant that we had a signal (me taking a diagonal step with the leading leg towards his quarters) that meant "disengage the quarters, and was a braking system in itself.
 
If you're using the Dually, is there a reason you're not long-lining with two lines? If you've got a nice open space, you can use turns to control the speed: turn her back the other way with the outside line.
 
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