How long do you lunge for?

20 mins at most.

D is trussed up like a turkey with a de gogue and side reins, any less than that and she decides that free schooling is much more fun.

Aim for once a week but depends on circumstances.
 
I usually lunge once a week (twice max) for no more than 20 mins as I learnt this was the equilavent to 1 hours ridden work.

I used to use side reins but about 2 years ago my instructor advised me to use side reins to the girth (between front legs) as the problems were my boy was reluctant to stretch down and work long and low, this sorted it! His head isn't held down at all and now he works lovely over his back
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Im also a saddo (maybe ocd) and time or count the amount of time on each rein to make it equal...
 
I lunge max once a week, use side reins as I find they keep the horse straight. Reins between the front legs do make them stretch over the back but I find it hard to keep the bend and/or stop them falling out
 
Without wanting to hijack the post I'd be interested to know how big a circle people lunge on? I thought that a small circle would put lots of wear and tear on the joints and try to use the whole arena width but lots of people seem to lunge on about a 10-15m circle.
 
I find it hard to keep the circle that big as my lunge line isn't quite long enough though I aim to keep it mostly 20m with smaller ones to work on bend/collection/balance
 
I lunge once a week and for 20min-30mins, w t and c with lots of trans. I use a bungie as its the only thing to make him work long and low and not with his head in the air. It works for him.
I lunge round the whole school as my boy is coming back from an injury.
 
While I was bringing Tia back into work I was lunging her 3-4times a week. Sometimes with equiami on but often without any gadgets just to give her exercise. I didnt have a good fitting saddle for a while.

At the mo I try to lunge once a week. 20-30mins.

My lungeline wasnt long enough either so I tie two together
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I first set off lunging with nothing on 5 min each rain then put side reins on and do 10 min each rain first trot work, walk to trot asking them to work on a smaller circles and back out then cantering again in and out getting them sitting on there hocks. finish off walking
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I lunge for about 20 mins or so twice a week, (she gets ridden 3 times a week on top of that) in and copy of a pessoa! Would rather ride but have to do it at 'stupid o'clock before work!
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Do a few mins on each rein with nothing attached, on a larger circle as I can to warm up, then attach between her legs so she can strech down, then as she starts to use herself more I move the clips to her side.
I do lots of spiralling in and out and transitions.
 
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Without wanting to hijack the post I'd be interested to know how big a circle people lunge on? I thought that a small circle would put lots of wear and tear on the joints and try to use the whole arena width but lots of people seem to lunge on about a 10-15m circle.

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I go by some research (from last year I think). I don't lunge in a perfect circle - I try and make it elliptical so there is less strain on the inside legs. I often walk round the school with the horse moving in straight lines before bending round the 'corners'.
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I tend to lunge for what seems like ages, definitely more than 20mins I am sure (not loads though) but I use the whole school and go here there everywhere, so I look at it more of schooling than lunging per se, as we rarely go around in a circle and that is on the very end of a long line if we do.

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I never lunge. I think it is a big strain on the joints to be sent round in 15-20m circles time and again. I don't believe in doing it at all. If I had a horse who needed exercise but could not be ridden then I would longline it.

The only exception I will make is my Shetland, who is so tiny that a 15m circle will be the equivalent of my big horses doing 60m. I plan to teach him soon to keep his waistline under control.
 
I lunge for a about 15-20mins a couple of times a week with side reins but they are really quite loose so he only has a really light contact as he's recently off the track and I'm just letting him get his head together over the winter - very exciting as he's starting to work long and low - yay!

I tend to walk around a lot, never end up where I started. Also only doing walk and trot and lots of transitions.
 
when I lunge I do it for 20 mins but change direction every 5 mins, no gadgets just let him work and have fun. He works well himself and I dont mind him being a prat as he is under control even leaping and bucking and jumping about. But I only lunge when the horse walker is not avalible.
 
I've only actually lunged Scooby twice (well, three times if you count my completely failed first attempt where I don't think we managed one single cirlce) because I prefer to ride so I'd only lunge if I can't ride (like because my saddle kept slipping back and hurting him so I couldn't use it). I only did it for about 10 mins because I got bored and dizzy
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also he's so unfit I thought I was going to kill him! Gave him as big a circle as possible (probably about 25m) and changed reins frequently, no gadgets. Lunging is definitely not my thing - if I need to do any non-ridden exercise in the future, I'll longrein him or something instead.
 
I prefer to longline in the school as it is closer to actual riding and I find my horse (and previous horses) work much better this way - even compared to a pessoa. I'll happily do 30-40 mins but like others i use the whole school, making use of the long side to push him on, short sides to collect. I also do a few 15m circles to get his hocks right under him and I use trotting poles and raised poles to keep things interesting. Because i long line i switch between being in the middle to walking behind him quite frequently to break the session up. My last horse was a fancy bu**er and did flying changes on long lines lol! I would only work a horse like this once a week.

If I use the pessoa i think 20 mins is enough - for us both tbh!!
 
I lunge for no longer than 20 mins and do it about 3 times a week. I always change my way of going and use the whole school. So sometimes 15m circles/20m circles and walk along long side to get some straight lines and extension.

I never do the same thing in a week and use side reins
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hum... tricky question for me, my gelding never gets lunged unless we are doing an assessment of his progress with the farrier and then its like 1 min in trot on each rein.

my mare on the other hand gets lunged at least once a week, for as long as it take her to settle and do proper work we could be in there 10 mins so she can have a stretch of legs of we could be in there 1/2 an hour because she is being an idiot. some time i use side reins some time i use nothing it depends why i am lunging her, we don't really circle on the lunge, we work up and down the school in (smaller that full size) ovals to a) not over work young joints and b) not churn a circle into the school surface.
 
Well I spend about 30 or so the school, but that includes a good walk round to warm up first, I don't think people spend enough time doing this, specially when they have just come out of the stables after been stood around, then some stretch work and then trot/canter etc, then spend 5 mins half way through stretching out in walk, give them a chance to get the barings back again, catch the breath etc and I'll stop and see how the breathing etc (I always check this so you can see if there fitness is improving) then start the process on the other rein, then cool off.

Its pretty hard going on our school so it easily take it out of them if there not fit, as for circles, we start of large and come and in out, also use the length of the school to extend, so all sorts really.:)
 
Hmmmm, I lunge probably once a month, more recently because we've been having to do it alot for the vet.
I dont lunge in any gadgets will occationaly use side reins but thats about it.
 
30-40mins once a week - this includes all warm up and cool down and a bit of ground lateral work - just starting leg yeild in trot and coming on nicely!

i use side reins for about 15-20mins of that

i work her on full length of lunge rope, and spiral in and out (in to about 10m) and use the whole school running next to her lol - never just go round and round on same circle

also often use poles on the ground to vary it
 
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I first set off lunging with nothing on 5 min each rain then put side reins on and do 10 min each rain first trot work, walk to trot asking them to work on a smaller circles and back out then cantering again in and out getting them sitting on there hocks. finish off walking
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ditto exactly this
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do lots of transitions as well including walk to canter which he does very well off my voice, and varying size of circles
 
About 20 minutes but never more than a coupleof minutes staying on a circle, as I don't like to risk joint strain. I also only do large circles with the odd 10m or 5 m one thrown in. I like to use the whole school to lunge - more like schooling. I do sometimes use a bungey or my "pessola" aid or lunge on two reins so I can chop and change with long reining.

I also do loose schooling - my two will (after a couple of minutes cantering playing) settled down and trot on a circle, change the rein etc. I let them have 5 mins settling time and then 15 mins work when I do this.
 
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