Is Lunging Essential

Caol Ila said:
I had done all the lunging/long-reining, transitions, over poles, etc. to strengthen my mare and get her prepared for toting her heavy backpack around, but the moment I sat on her, I could feel her say, "Whoa... this is hard work."
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Which is why strengthening them as much as possible before we get on is never a bad idea, and that means posture, straightness, topline, not just fittening on the lunge or longlines. If they have strength and correct balance then we compromise them so much less when we get on.
 
sbloom said:
Which is why strengthening them as much as possible before we get on is never a bad idea, and that means posture, straightness, topline, not just fittening on the lunge or longlines. If they have strength and correct balance then we compromise them so much less when we get on.
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I'm definitely going to do ground work once a week when I get another horse. To be honest I rather enjoyed doing it, although every day was a little tedious.

Seeing results makes you realise how they can strengthen.
 
I’m not a fan of lunging for the sake of it, mine learnt how to lunge for the vets, and if I needed to see them moving on the ground. I long reined my little pony instead, and did closer inhand work with my ridden pony during the dark evenings. Mine both had hock arthritis eventually so that was also a factor, I didn’t feel working on a constant circle would do them any good.
 
I aim to do a groundwork day weekly. Warm up on lunge, horse goes nicely.

The either raised walk and trot poles or some gymnastic jumping.

Maybe bit of in hand work.

Cool down stretch on lunge.
 
Essential- no.
Useful- yes for me. I probably lunge once a week and my green one is learning correct rein back on long reins at the moment.
I do a quick lunge before any long journeys, the day after an intense season, or when struggling for time (or paranoid about how he’s moving). My average session is probably 15min. I find it as interesting as riding on my home 40x20. I can see so much from the ground.
 
I teach all my horses how to lunge correctly and frankly it’s extremely rare to buy a horse who lunges well .
Its an useful thing to have them understand certainly it’s needed for lameness assessment and might be for rehab .
Ongoing how much I lunge depends on the horse Blue is a big ID a crossed Clydesdale we don’t lunge him I might two years on now he’s slim and able to canter properly do a bit more with it this summer.
Essential no ,very useful certainly .
 
I have lunged my horse to check that she knows how, as it may be needed for vet checks etc in the future, but I really don't like it, so don't do it as part of normal work.

I like using long lining for polework as they are always a bit bent towards you if you just lead normally with a leadrope, I find - and I like to have more of a view of how she's moving.
 
Jellymoon said:
Or long-reining for that matter…
For the correct development of your horse.
( Or is it simply a convenient way of exercising them when you don’t have time to ride/something a groom can do for you!)

It’s not something I do regularly because I tend to prefer to hack/school, but I’m wondering if I should be doing it as part of their routine…
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Nope , I did long reign bb when I first got him before I backed him with a normal saddle. And a couple of times the first few weeks of riding. Not now though. I never lunge unless it is a youngster and there is something to be taught. I see no purpose in sending horses round in a circle ☺️BB does however like to get out every single day riding.
 
Lunging is an extremely useful gymnastic tool that should be carefully and properly taught to every horseman, but sadly seldom is. Likewise work on the longrein (and the short hand rein), but long-reining is really better suited to older, educated horses rather than the very green or unbroken horses that seem to be the recipient of it in these parts.

Neither are strictly essential, but it would be better not to lunge (or especially longrein) at all than to do it badly.
 
I have a dodgy foot and dodgy hips. Mine learn to lunge in case they ever need to for vet, and do about two sessions of long-reining before backing. I lead from another pony for fittening before backing.

Never been an issue.
 
I make sure everything of mine will sensibly lunge and long rein. I lunge probably once every 10 days to 2 weeks, but I move around so essentially don’t keep them on a small circle. It adds variety to their work and allows me to assess them from the ground.
 
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