Horse turns in on lunging

Paint Me Proud

Paint Me Proud

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okay, what are your best tips for a horse that likes to turn in constantly when lunging.

Horse doesnt understand the concept of going in a circle and I want to help him learn this, so fishing for some hints and tips that I might not have thought of.

:):)
 
My mare does this - I made excuses for her for a long time, I said she didn't know how to lunge, must have been started differently, poor girl, have to start from scratch blah blah blah.... turns out that I was wrong and she was just taking the mick out of me! She would turn in, get a bit bolshy coming in closer and closer, stepping in to my space when asked to move out....

I clipped two lines on her - perfect! Cheeky mare, she definitely knew how to lunge. After a couple of lriding lessons on the lunge lessons she is now less reluctant to turn in when I lunge her with one line but I will still use 2 for a while because I don't lunge very often.

Not saying yours is taking the mick but that was the case with mine. It really is just a two line job or a pessoa is just enough of a touch from behind to stop the turning in.
 
Billie1007 said:
Not saying yours is taking the mick but that was the case with mine. It really is just a two line job or a pessoa is just enough of a touch from behind to stop the turning in.
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It's not my horse and will be the first time i lunge him tonight but i have watched him lunge before.

I plan on using double lines so will report back if it works with him :)
 
Agree two lines. And whilst some do just take advantage, green horses or those unused to being alone can find it slightly scary out there on their own initially. If it is the case someone walking with them, or a smaller circle for a brief time can help. Also, whatever the reason, good voice commands being in place already help. So the desire to trot on is greater than the desire to turn in if that makes sense.
 
if its a youngster that really doesnt understand a helper walking with him or walking around with him on a shorter line before gradually lengthening it can help. if its pure cheekiness check you are not standing in front of his shoulder (thereby encouraging him to stop) and use two lines
 
I had the same problem with my horse. Two lines definitely helped, but so did a couple of free lunging sessions with him.

It made it clear what I was asking of him (go away!) and enabled me work on my body language. It started off with him full pelt galloping from one end of the arena to the other, but he soon settled down and got the idea.

Good luck!
 
sorry, numpty hijack here, but can someone please explain how the two lines work? Where do they each go? I can't visualise it. My boy has started doing this recently and the current tactic is to wait until he comes close enough to walk into the whip and prod himself in the shoulder (which he does - stupid horse) and then he backs off and goes back out, but two lines sounds like a good idea if I can get my head around it....
 
My pony did this allot when I started her .

What I do (she tuned in when i asked her to woah.)


I would say woah stand then if she turned in I would hold the lunge line close to the ring lead her 1/4 turn till she was standing facing the way she was going and say woah- STAND . kept doing this over and over she soon got the message, Done this with all of mine:)
 
ghostie said:
sorry, numpty hijack here, but can someone please explain how the two lines work? Where do they each go? I can't visualise it. My boy has started doing this recently and the current tactic is to wait until he comes close enough to walk into the whip and prod himself in the shoulder (which he does - stupid horse) and then he backs off and goes back out, but two lines sounds like a good idea if I can get my head around it....
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Attached to the bit on each side, one line to you as normal but the other one roping around the other side of the horse, round it's back end and then to you. If it is a big horse you may need to bodge your outside line so it is the same length as the inside line (using a spare lunge line and making two into one - so infact this job may take 3 lines) mine found it tight with two lines the same length as obviously her body was taking up a lot of the outside line.
 
Billie1007 said:
Attached to the bit on each side, one line to you as normal but the other one roping around the other side of the horse, round it's back end and then to you. If it is a big horse you may need to bodge your outside line so it is the same length as the inside line (using a spare lunge line and making two into one - so infact this job may take 3 lines) mine found it tight with two lines the same length as obviously her body was taking up a lot of the outside line.
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fab, thank you - that makes sense now :) Off to purchase two more lunge lines as he's a great big lump of a horse :)
 
patterdale said:
Lunge whip. Up bum.

:D
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This worked for me. Mine kept wanting to come to me until I was advised to use the whip a bit more (only until she got the message) and tell her that I wanted her to go away but stay at the length of the line (if that makes sense)?

I found it confusing at first but then it clicked.
 
Ghostie- I do a lunge line clipped to outside rings of cavesson (don't lunge from bit as a rule myself). Then down the side of horse & round the quarters back to your hand. If you usually hold the line in one hand & whip in the other then its pretty easy to hold the second line in the whip hand. If you normally lunge with the line in two hands, get the hang of lunging from one first. Also, at first it can help to have an extra pair of hands to help you stay untangled before horse walks on.
 
When you lunge with two lines put a roller or saddle on so you can thread the lines through rings/stirrups. This stops you from getting in a muddle with your lines!
 
If you haven't the confidence to use two reins in the beginning, use a lunge whip and keep it pointed at the horses shoulder. If the horse is a novice with lungeing, then an assistant leading the horses on the outside to guide it will help.:)
 
Update - I used two lunge lines, from the bit, through a lunge roller.

The little horse hadnt done anything like this before but he worked really well and got the hang of 'walk on' and 'wooooooo stand', somthing he couldnt do before.
He didnt try to turn in once but after 15 minutes he was clearly very tired (hasnt had to use his brain much before) so started to plant and refuse to walk on. So ic hanged the game and went on to a new activity.

By the end of the 25 minutes he was happily loose following me around the school, standing on command, walking on on command and also started learning to do 'back' (this 3 year old horse didnt understand the command back at all) and was willingly moving back off slight pressure on the bit.

I was very pleased with our first little play. I dont want to get on him until I am confident he understands my voice commands.
 
You need to think ahead, before your horse has chance to even think about turning in you need to send him forward and use your body language so he doesn't enter the circle.

My horse did it from time to time but by stepping forward, verbally encouraging him he soon stopped. Practice daily (obviously not too much!) to get him used to it.
 
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