How many of you lunge before riding?

[DJ]

Just a general query. My lad can be sharp and a bit silly, a friend of mine has suggested giving him a good lunging sessions to start with, before heading out on a ride, to tire him a bit. As we no longer have a school it would just be done in the field before we went.


I just wondered how many people do this as part of their general routine? and how much of "the norm" it is to do so, do you think it helps calm them and take the edge off? Or does it make no difference at all.

Thanks

 

[Archiepoo]

hi i had a silly tb that wouldnt concentrate when you were trying to school and so lunging for 5 mins each way would just take the top off him so he could settle to work. i know lots of people that lunge very fizzy horses before they will even get on

 

[dreamcometrue]

I have known quite a few people who do this especially if the horse hasn't beeen ridden for a few days or seems a bit fresh.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Sometimes when my WB was going through a naughty phase to loosen and settle him mainly before schooling rather than hacking though.

I'd be wary of lunging on grass though if it is slippery especially if he is likely to have a hooley.

 

[burtie]

Lunging very occasionally before riding if you have a specific reason to suspect the horse might be fizzy is great, but I've never understood the point of lunging a horse regularly before riding as surely you just end up with a fitter and potentially fizzier horse.

 

[Kikke]

No don't only if someone else like my mum has a bit of a hack on her just to make sure she isn't too fresh.

 

[3Beasties]

I used to lunge my mare before riding as she was extremely nappy and explosive, I found it helped get her in a better frame of mind and made her more rideable.

I'd probably only lunge her before riding now if she has had more than a week off.

 

[smirnoff_ice07]

I lunge my 4 year old before schooling at the moment (only backed in the summer) started when he was just backed to take the edge off but don't really need to now, it's just become habit! Weirdly enough I get on him and hack on the road with no lunging first, now he's a bit more established I'm trying to phase it out though. With my other one no never but he feels very safe compared to the baby!

 

[coffeeandabagel]

My daughter has a slightly nappy green 5 year old - her instructor has reccomended she lunge him to get him to focus his mind on her. She says it is working, but with two to ride I cant find the time to lunge and ride!

 

[khalswitz]

I do sometimes - normally if he's had some time off, or if we're having a group lesson, and I certainly do when competing. He is very sharp, but better once he's concentrating on me.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

No, even after CM had had nearly a year and a half off work or when the farmer had welded up his farm equipment right outside her stable while I was tacking up - that was an exciting ride as it was like she'd been turbocharged.

 

[wyrdsister]

No, never, but that's principally because one of mine has a mechanical soundness issue that shows up in a 1/10th lameness on a circle and the 4 year old has a penchant for exploding on the lunge, rodeoing, leaping and generally playing the fool. By the time we've worked through that and she's been sensible a) she's going to be tired and brain-fried (she's a very young 4 mentally) and b) I'm wondering why on earth I'd want to ride *that*! ;-) Horse number three is pretty much always a sweetheart so it's never crossed my mind to lunge her first.

 

[Circe]

I lunge quite a lot before riding, especially if I haven't ridden for a few days.
I don't do it to tire my horse out, more to gauge his reaction, if that makes sense? and get him listening to me. He can also be a bit cold backed to start with, so I warm him up on the lunge before getting on.
I do agree that its easy to end up with a fit horse thats harder to handle if you do it too much though.
Kx

 

[Bunnymare]

If I haven't ridden for a couple of days I will put my tb on the lunge for ten minutes to settle her in and get her listening

 

[Goldenstar]

I think this a pretty normal thing to do with some horses at acertain stage in their lives.
I feel it's important when you lunge to Concertrate on the thought that you are seeking to warm through the horses muscles and establish obedience so the horse it is listening to your commands and making calm transitions when asked .
I really dislike to see horses letting off steam on the lunge it's bad for their training and bad for their respect for the rider and and it's very easy for them to tweak something mucking about .

 

[Ibblebibble]

nope! big girl doesn't do lunging so it would wind her up rather than take the edge off her!

 

[MileAMinute]

I used to lunge my 4yo lightly before riding just to take the edge off.

I rarely bother now he's matured in his ridden work, but if I 'sense' he might act up a bit I'll take a lunge line with me to the school!

 

[glamourpuss]

When my old lad was about 5 I had to go through a phase of a quick lunge before every ride. As a poster said above it was more so I could gauge how he was that day.

As a rule I actually don't like lunging so if I can get away with not doing it then I don't. My young lad is pretty good & even after a break doesn't usually need lunging.

 

[Moomin1]

I don't bother with my mare as I find that if she is 'on one' then lunging just winds her up more.

 

[KatieandCowboy]

I do 5mins each way if I haven't ridden for a few days just to ensure he's listening to me and in a work frame of mind. I find it really helps him focus and then when riding he's much more engaged with the task in hand from the moment I get on.

 

[Tnavas]

Lunging very occasionally before riding if you have a specific reason to suspect the horse might be fizzy is great, but I've never understood the point of lunging a horse regularly before riding as surely you just end up with a fitter and potentially fizzier horse.

Agree!

Another thing to consider is what you are feeding him!

Try feeding a totally fibre diet - scrap ALL other components. A horse is designed to live on fibre - and that includes TB's too.

 

[Pigeon]

I occasionally lunge before riding, but more because he's lazy than fizzy, and it loosens him up nicely with minimal effort from me

 

[aleece]

Only if my mare has been off for a while as shes very fizzy and excitable. Really helps and helps get them concentrate and to focus