keeping him away from me

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

I'm doing a fair amount of lunging with Sid at the moment and whilst he is brilliant when moving we have an issue in the "low gears"!
As soon as I bring him down to a walk he starts edging in to me and at a halt he shambles straight over to me for a cuddle. He doesn't come in to me when in walk but preparing to go up to trot - just the other way around.
It doesn't massively bother me as its a affectionate "can i have a cuddle" but my instructor says he should stay on the circle in halt until i walk to him.
Despite trying for 30 mins last night, and much prodding with the lunging whip, the big bugger keeps doing it!
Any ideas?

 

[wvfoxylady]

When i was training my youngster on the lunge he used to turn into me too, but would come at me 100mph.
Good tip I got was to use 2 lunge reins,one normally and the other on the outside and round the back of his bum so you have an outside rein too. This stops them turning in.
Hope this helps. Bit fiddly but worked for me.x

 

[summertoots]

Yeh the two lines work. My lad was terrible for wandering in to me in walk untill I did this with him, back down to one now and he is great.

 

[mickey]

Positioning is also key...I have this prob with my horse sometimes when he goes from trot to walk. He wants to turn in. You have to be quick so that the minute they break into walk you are in a 'driving' position (at a 45 degree angle behind horse with the whip held assertively in your hand to make them go forwards. If you are too slow to assert yourself he will turn in before you know it. If you are positioned too far forward (ie alongside horse rather than behind it) you will encourage them to turn in.