If you lunge, why do you do it . . .

PolarSkye

PolarSkye

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. . . and how?

Just wondering as I watched someone lunge yesterday by simply letting her horse trot in circles for a specific amount of time . . . horse wasn't tracking up or particularly using himself but she could have been doing it simply to get his heart rate up and contribute to his fitness (I didn't ask) . . . it got me thinking about why and how people lunge.

I'll start . . .

I do lunge - although generally only once a week and sometimes not even that often. I use it as part of his overall work which also includes hacking, schooling on the flat, schooling on the gallops over the XC jumps and jumping in the school in the hopes that we end up with a well-rounded, fit horse. I usually use a pessoa and often use poles, either flat on the floor or raised to encourage him to use himself/step under. I realize that pessoas and/or gadgets of any kind are contentious, but I find that he really stretches down and works over his back while being lunged in it and that's something he's been reluctant to do in the past.

So . . . if you lunge, why do you do it, and how?

P
 
I ride, I don't lunge. When I'm first starting a horse I free school it in the round pen for short periods over a couple of days to get it used to voice commands. I've never been a lunger I'm afraid.
 
Loads of different reasons and methods.

Sometimes, have only 20 minutes to exercise.
Sometimes to see how the horse is moving with or without tack.
Sometimes to rehab a horse without the weight of a rider.
Sometimes with training aids and or poles to strengthen muscles.
Sometimes to introduce a horse to jumping cross poles without a rider.
Sometimes on an oval to exercise lightly without a rider after injury.
Sometimes to enable a green horse to balance without the complication of a rider, to work away from the handler and respond to voice commands.
And sometimes to get a novice rider to learn to balance and learn seat aids without reins.
 
I do enjoy doing it with my horse, but don't do it very often as I fear going round in too many circles is not for his general lameness issues he seems to have :mad: Last time I lunged it was on a short line and I walked/ran round in a circle inside to make it a large circle. I used the butt end of the lunge whip to push him round to flex his ribs and encourage his inside leg to step under, with loose side reins he worked really well like this.

I am trying to teach my sisters horse to lunge atm, and he makes me look like a complete amateur, despite starting him slowly, havign a lead round, he insists on turning in, or trying to plunge away to the gate. He is just being obstinate though, and we had a breakthough in the last session in trot when we managed two circuits with no turning in. He'll do it in walk, but in trot he won't, or wouldn't. Again I use a short line on him from time to time to curb the turning in, but as I don't trust him to not kick me its not ideal :eek:
 
I very rarely lunge, I prefer to free-school where my horse goes round freely. I usually do this if he's been out of work for various reasons or just to have exercise without a rider on his back. It makes him respond well to my voice and we have more of a connection. He is worked fairly hard as a more advance dressage horse so free-schooling is a nice little break. I never strap his head down with gadgets as I believe a natural outline will come from working correctly over his back and from his hocks :)

This is a video of him coming back into slow work last summer after a small injury that put him out of work for 2 weeks.

[youtube]68yET2C8KIg&list=UUfCBlOcGRfgVWC0qnP1a2aQ&index=4[/youtube]
 
I lunge when I don't have time to ride or when I want to see how my horse is going. I make him work properly though, by either using a pessoa/bungee or putting out trotting poles.

I have been doing some free schooling with him recently which he really enjoys. Mainly to get him going more confidently over jumps and find his balance without a rider on his back. He loves it too.
 
I would free school if the nearby for hire arenas were suitable, one has grassy banks inside the fence so not ideal, and the other fence is too low and I wouldn't trust him not to jump it!
 
I rarely if ever lunge. Last time i did all i wanted was my horse totrot 3x each way to check soundness. Yeah it turned into a rodeo, ****** off, slam on, spin, nap, pull 3 out of 4 shoes off, trash the place and get very sweaty in the space of 5 mins! YeAh i dont lunge lol!
 
I lunge before I get on. He's rising 4 and the lunging settles him into a routine which I have found leads to him working better when I get on. I use two reins because it's easier to control him and stops him turning in (so in essence is long reining I guess) and work him in walk and trot mixing long-lining in to change direction, serpentines (sp?!) etc. Lots of transitions to get him thinking and get him to use his back and hind quarters. He goes very well on the lunge, and I love to watch him once he's going properly! Probably do this for 15 mins then canter him on each rein, then get on :)
 
I rarely lunge my own. Last time was about a month ago when his girth rubbed him so i couldn't ride. Otherwise would only do if I don't have time to exercise another way. I usually use a Pessoa.

I lunge one of my client's ponies fairly often Without any gadgets purely for fitness as at 11.2hh and 12.2hh they're too small for me to ride.
 
Gracie21 said:
I lunge before I get on. He's rising 4 and the lunging settles him into a routine which I have found leads to him working better when I get on. I use two reins because it's easier to control him and stops him turning in (so in essence is long reining I guess) and work him in walk and trot mixing long-lining in to change direction, serpentines (sp?!) etc. Lots of transitions to get him thinking and get him to use his back and hind quarters. He goes very well on the lunge, and I love to watch him once he's going properly! Probably do this for 15 mins then canter him on each rein, then get on :)
Click to expand...

I'd like to lunge with double reins, but worry I would get all tangled, think I need a new second lunge line as ours is just too padded and bulky, it would help with turning in though, making myself 'big and scary' has no effect whatsoever :o
 
Stencilface said:
I'd like to lunge with double reins, but worry I would get all tangled, think I need a new second lunge line as ours is just too padded and bulky, it would help with turning in though, making myself 'big and scary' has no effect whatsoever :o
Click to expand...

It is a bit scary to begin with but once you've figured it out it makes such a difference! Ha I know exactly what you mean!! Jack would turn in on any given chance, now he doesn't even bother trying!! :D:p
 
I did the 'arms up in the air, whip up and smacking the ground' thing as cracking it and shouting didn't work. After 25 mins he gave in though the little obstinate beggar. Hopefully when we have another go this week he'll remember and we can do a bit more constructive work, his trot his beautiful on the lunge, he has very loose side reins, enough to keep him in line, without towing his head down :)
 
recently lunged a TB coming back into work first time on her ( it was one of those take your life in your hands moment) after she had settled down i hopped on :)
 
I lunge each horse about once a week I don't do the you stand still and the horse goes round and round you type lunging I move about the school a lot move them straight then back onto a curve.
I like to see them move ( I dont have mirrors ) I also lunge them on grass something my physio likes although I do have a "working " paddock which I prepare for schooling on ( it's never grazed ) .
At the moment one whose resting is to be lunged three times a week to help some development issues he has the physio sets a work plan I follow it.
I lunge over poles a lot to .
I long rien my horses too often over unevenly spaced poles at different hieghts when my legs up to it it's very hard work.
 
I lunge once or twice a week using an EquiAmi in an attempt to build up my horse's topline, so far it is working really well. He used to be difficult and tank off etc. but after several sessions he was absolutely fine and now works well on the lunge. I like being able to rely more on voice commands as well as I think it helps communication when riding.
 
I lunge now and again, to get my horse stepping under and tracking up more. I can do it by cueing every time the inside hind comes off the ground, teaches him to use himself more and stretch those hind leg joints. I also do it to reinforce the voice aids, transitions etc, only ever using a simple american halter and a 22 ft line.
 
Rarely, with the new one. Used to do it a lot, for the reasons JillA mentions above mostly (though I lunge from a lunge cavesson, and often with two lines).

The new one thinks lunging is just an excuse to gawp at the sky (which he has apparently never seen before...), neigh at the other horses in their fields, and to attempt to tow me around the arena. So I don't really tend to bother with him. After a lot of attempts, I've accepted the fact this is one horse who probably won't ever lunge particularly sensibly. Maybe when he's older and calmed down a little, but ATM riding achieves much more.
 
Sometimes its work, other times its just to keep the edge off him rather than give him a day off (say if my back is particularly bad or I'm not in a frame of mind to ride well, really tired etc) so I do it in just a headcollar. I still expect him to track up and be obedient to the voice though. He works beautifully usually (better than when I'm on him, so it shows me how much my less than perfect riding affects him).
I tend to loose school more than lunge, same idea but bigger circle and easier to build in jumps and grids.
 
I lunge on two lines and use the whole school, I do a mixture of longlining, figure of eights, lunging. I do this once or twice a week, it varies my horses work towards keeping him fit. It also is beneficial to me when I have others to ride and haven't got as much time.
 
I lunge my daughters pony twice a week, to help keep him exercised ( as I'm too heavy ) but also as he's a little green in his trot to canter transition - do I'm working in this on the lunge to benefit my daughter when she rides.

I just lunge with one lunge line, but would like to learn to use two and be able to longline him too.
 
I lunge so I can get a good look at how he's moving and try to spot and tight/unevenness. I have an equiami but he really stretches out on his own on the lunge so I just use it occasionally. I have started to use poles too. I try to lunge once a week roughly and feel its a bit of variety too
 
I very rarely lunge anymore. I lunged a couple times a week when I first got my horse and am so glad I did as it really got him used to my voice and different commands.
I would then lunge before riding for 5 mins as he went through a phase of needing a bucking fit before settling down as everything was just too exciting.
Now we have settled down together I have lunged him twice to check for soundness after an abcess.

Planning to free school tonight over some jumps to get him a bit more confident..
 
i have barely lunged in months, as no school and the field has been pretty boggy untill now.
i enjoy being able to see how the are going, as a different perspective than when you are riding them. sometimes it is useful, like now im trying to get them fit and sometimes when im very busy during the week it gets them exercised in less time, as if only 20 minutes, a hack would not be worth much
but i dont that often as boring!
 
I've started lunging my mare once a week for the last month. I feel its helped her loosen up and she feels much better under saddle.
 
Lots of reasons,
To help muscle building and balance,
To see how they are moving from the ground,
To get a perspective of speed and movement that I can apply to ridden work
To train voice commands
I'm tired and can't put much effort in to schooling!
Something different to do
To use my expensive lunging aid I bought ;)
To teach the horse self carriage
To introduce different bits/nosebands without a rider fiddling around
.... and probably a lot more but my brain is going to sleep

I also free school jumping as I think it makes a huge difference to jumping when ridden. Makes them a lot more careful and calmer imo
 
I lunge in a pessoa to get them working over their backs without a rider on board and so as I can see the horse infront of me and how they are going. Being on my own most of the time I find this helps as I can't video myself riding and have no-one regularly there to assess how they are going.

With my older horse having been off regular work since july last year I'm using it and the pessoa to build him back up before I start riding him properly to give his muscles an chance to strengthen before I start asking him for more :)
 
Lunged my youngster last night and will continue to do so as he is coming back into work;
I have no-one to hack out with so need to work in field to build our confidence;
I need to build his muscles back up;
re-establish voice commands/listening to me before I start hacking out again;
check the movement;
I lunge him with 2 reins in tack, doing some straight lines eg long-reining
building up to using a pessoa on him
The other horse - hopefully spavins are fusing so need to keep her in work so she is lunged on 2 lines joined together to make a very, very large square as I walk with her, makes a change/use it to take the gas out of her if she's not ridden for a few daysbut only for max 10 mins.
One rein off bridle or headcollar, sometimes in a loose pessoa
 
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