Lunge Help!

B

BeaconHill

Active Member
Joined
31 December 2013
Messages
32
Location
North Lincolnshire
Visit site
My ex racer needs to be lunged before each ride atm, she is lunged in a pessoa and has been going very well in it, but she has become impossible to lunge now. She backs her rear to me and tries to kick me ( I had 2 hooves miss my face by a foot yesterday) and she charges for me put her ears back and runs at me which is really scarey. What should I do? Thanks. x
 
She is worse with the Pessoa off and the pessoa is on a long and low setting to help stretch then put on a working setting and I lunge as it calms her down before a ride as she can be quite fresh. i did ride her recnetly and she was playing up constantly the lunging really has helped till she started playing up and showing this awful aggression. I really do not think it has anything to do with the pessoa as she is showing total aggression towards me rather than blatant confusion, plus she is so much worse without it constantly backing up and kicking out at me. At first the Pessoa did help but now she has seen a way around it and started charging which she didnt do before I got the pessoa.
 
Last edited:
She is being very very naughty!!! Get behind her with the whip! Don't even give her the chance to turn in on you- be one step ahead of her, you should be in a triangle - your eyes should be looking at her back end and your whip should be held pointing at her tail, get her going forwards so that there is no slack in the rope, and don't move your feet around too much . Really send her forwards with the whip- she will gallop round at first but will settle after a few circles - then let her settle into your Normal lunge routine and always hold the whip up pointing at her tail/ hindquarters so that she can't turn in& keeps going forwards
 
p.s. is there anyone who could help you ie lead whilst you're lunging until she gets back to her old, good habits again? It's hard to take control sometimes when they are being cheeky on the lunge, and I don't know about you but sometimes I feel more vulnerable on the floor than on their back. Let us know how it goes...
 
some good replies here! does seem like naughtyness however making sure it is not pain related may be a good idea!
the other thing with lunging is, she will get fitter and fitter and possibly be only more sharp when riding. something to be careful about!
 
Kikke said:
some good replies here! does seem like naughtyness however making sure it is not pain related may be a good idea!
the other thing with lunging is, she will get fitter and fitter and possibly be only more sharp when riding. something to be careful about!
Click to expand...

^THIS^

what is she like if you free school her?
does she get turned out?
 
when I have had the lunge so it isnt slack she still turns her rear in, honestly she just brings her rear in so close and does massive kicks and i am just not fast enough, sometimes to get her to trot i have to tough her with the whip not hit obvs but give her a tap and she just swings her rear to me and double barrels. When I first lunge her she goes a treat for about 10 mins then turns into a nightmare. she did recently have everything checked and when I have lunged her and ridden her she is as good as gold. When I do send her on from the rear if she doesnt kick she turns around and charges at me ears back eyes wide it is proper frightening. when t comes to loose schooling to get her forward have to touch her with the whip and she will go round a little but then charges for me again. When I ride her in the field she is amazing but it is the hacks she plays up on and I wont be able to ride her in my field for much longer as I have to put my cows out for the spring/summer grazing. When she plays up on a hack it's when something scares her from a-far something which I cant find and she will stand there and shake and will go into a field off the track or take me straight into a hawthorn hedge, if I try to send her on she bolts off or goes deeper into the field or hedge I have had to get off her and walk her a few times and have been miles from home, but when I have lunged her she has been too tired to be bothered. Oh and she gets full turn out unless the weather is bad or it's really chilly she has been turned out 24/7 for the last 2 weeks
 
I would get some cool calm sensitive professional help in, someone with lots of experience just to watch to begin with, the fact that she is good to begin with then starts to play up may be that she is bored and you need to be more inventive with your lunging but maybe there is something else going on, that she is difficult to ride as well would worry me, does she have other horses for company and to hack with? sounds like real confidence issues going on on her part but why?would be my question.
 
Your mare has no respect for you, and she has learned to evade work. By intimidating you she has got the upper hand and is treating you as she would a low ranking herd member.

I had my teeth kicked out some years ago by a Friesian gelding who turned quickly and double barrelled me, so watch what you are doing. Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, and it seems she is really trying to hurt you.

Lunging a horse like this is not for the faint hearted. It needs split second timing and decisive actions and commitment. The most important thing is to be ready and able to take a firm pull on the rope to bring the horse's head round sharply to deny it the chance to wheel and kick, but you must also be brave enough to drive the horse away if it attempts to kick or to run over the top of you.

A much safer approach would be to take the horse right back to the beginning and effectively retrain it.
 
She is on her own she isn't really into other horses and is much better on her own, she isnt even interested when we go past other horses or some come past her field. will do some pole work with her to try and keep her interested. When I jump her on the lunge she is as good as gold doesn't attack me or anything, She was worse when she was on sugarbeet but that has been changed. I have to keep reminding myself that she is an ex racer and needs constant mental stim i guess.
 
This isn't what you're asking, I know, but PLEASE get some professional help. A real live experienced, recommended person with a speciality in difficult horses and retraining, preferably, not Internet advice.

A horse that runs at you or goes out of its way to double barrel you is not behaving in a normal way. It's all very well "being careful" but the fact is the horse can move much faster than you. We don't control horses by strength - we would loose that one every time - we control them by mental application. If that is breaking down you are potentially in real physical danger.

I really do not think this is anything to do with her being an ex race horse. True, she is used to a very managed life and being handled in a particular way and THAT might very well be part of it, but lots of horses transition into living out etc perfectly well.

I'm sure lots of people will think this is alarmist but it is very unusual for horses to escalate their defence (which is pretty much all horses ever do, even if it's not always interpreted that way) to going out of their way toward the threat. And that is before you even get to the bolting etc. I'm not even saying there is something serious wrong, just that it doesn't sound like you are in a very safe situation and time is of the essence. A professional can help you sort it faster and more safely.
 
What you have to realise is that racehorse are a special breed, they have never been handled by inexperienced handlers, and always have known their place in the pecking order. They have had a day to day routine which makes them feel secure and they get plenty of exercise. She will be used to mingling in a herd situation, just because she does not make a fuss passing others does not mean she is better kept on her own.
Now she has been transported to a new place, put in a contraption and asked to do things by someone who does not have a lot of experience.
There is a good reason why there are places who specialise in racehorse rehabilitation. Not all of them are difficult, she may have been a bit flighty where she was before, but the staff were all professional handlers so it was not a problem for either party.
Best get professional advice before you get hurt, or find someone who can cope and let her go.
 
Last edited:
MrsD123 said:
What you have to realise is that racehorse are a special breed, they have never been handled by inexperienced handlers, and always have known their place in the pecking order. They have had a day to day routine which makes them feel secure and they get plenty of exercise.
Now she has been transported to a new place, put in a contraption and asked to do things by someone who does not have a lot of experience.
There is a good reason why there are places who specialise in racehorse rehabilitation. Not all of them are difficult, she may have been a bit flighty where she was before, but the staff were all professional handlers so it was not a problem for either party.
Best get professional advice before you get hurt, or find someone who can cope and let her go.
Click to expand...

they are not a special breed, they are fit athletes that are used to strict routine and because of that they need to be let down and given time to adjust, some of them are highly strung but that applies to all breeds at varying levels. the vast majority of TB go on to live a happy life in normal ridden homes with no problems.

Ido agree that professional help is required for teh op's safety though
 
I agree that you need some help with this one. Pain however is my first port of call. I have an ex racer who came to me un rideable and was going to be shot. Although he won't hack is a dream everywhere else. Teeth first, get them to check the bit in the mouth as well, I tend to like to use a nice lozenge on most of my horses and found ex racers love them (in case throws a wobbler and puts all the back work out again) then back, get them to check the saddle at this point as well. My boys issue was his back, truly horrific. Now I know he needs a visit from his behavior and I have a terrific back lady Keighley Raftety whom he adores and a good supportive team is what you need, ppl the horse is happy with. THEN get someone in to help. Once you know the horse is pain free you can do something. Until then I wouldn't try, if their something wrong all you are teaching this intelligent animal is human work = pain. If all is ok then you csn Get on with communicating that in fact this sheer naughty behavior must stop. Ditch the pessoa, get some lessons with the two lunge line method, so that you have control of the outside rein and also some pressure on the hindquarters. Tbs are exceptionally sharp, not all tend use this well bred attribute but when they do it can be scary and some will play on this, some will in turn be scared also and some will look aafter you. Also remember they get bored very easily! Lunge work should be fun for them, and so when you finally get going inckud polework, increasing and decreasing circles. My ex racer going incredibly well in the equi ami and now all mine use it. It doesn't give mixed signals and they can't lean on it. He is a darling and I'm soft on him so when I praise him on the lunge for doing something well he often comes in for a stroke then he takes himself back to the lunge and goes again. Some horses need praise and reassurance and none more so than ottb, there world was turned upside down when they left their racing life it's our job to help with the transition.
Don't be disheartened, try the things recommended to you and I hope you get somewhere. Fred and Rowena cook are always happy to help give them a call / email x
 
I would hope that a good professional would be able to spot a subtle physical problem, but you are right Bex, pain must be ruled out as a cause of this behaviour.
 
Faracat said:
I would hope that a good professional would be able to spot a subtle physical problem, but you are right Bex, pain must be ruled out as a cause of this behaviour.
Click to expand...

Agreed. A good professional with experience in such matters should be able to help you decide on the next step. The problem with starting with a random parade of therapists etc is they WILL find things wrong, especially in a horse that's done a hard job already. The catch is they can't tell you if this is related to the behaviour or not. It's also not true that if you find the right problem the behaviour will magically stop. A good trainer should be able to help you tie it all together.

That said, a horse going out of its way to kick someone is not on, no matter how much pain it's in. First off, it's very difficult to treat a horse properly who thinks that's an option. At the very least the vet will have to see it longe and be able to safely do flexions etc to reach any kind of primary diagnosis. Without a basic handle on those behaviours you'd be wasting your time and money.
 
Problem solved, did some join up with her today and she was as good as gold, we were loose schooling and it made all of the difference. She was charging at me to start off with but I stood my ground and she soon got the message that I am the leader and that I am safe and to be trusted. She is like a different horse! x
 
BeaconHill said:
Problem solved, did some join up with her today and she was as good as gold, we were loose schooling and it made all of the difference. She was charging at me to start off with but I stood my ground and she soon got the message that I am the leader and that I am safe and to be trusted. She is like a different horse! x
Click to expand...

Although it is great that you have made some progress, I really can't see how one "join up" session can have completely solved the problem. Two days ago you were posting to tell us all that your horse was dangerous, bolting, trying to double barrel you, etc etc. Today, after one join up session, she is cured? Sorry but it doesn't work like that. It isn't a miracle cure, you need to invest time, patience and energy into a horse like this one. Hope things continue to improve.
 
sorry what is with the passive aggressiveness? You know nothing about me, my education with horses and my knowledge so seriously rather than entertaining yourself with your bitchiness on my thread perhaps you should go and get a life rather than pick on people out of spite.
 
You described a horse that sounded a danger to itself and you, and now in one session you have cured it? That's why people sound surprised!
 
BeaconHill said:
Problem solved, did some join up with her today and she was as good as gold, we were loose schooling and it made all of the difference. She was charging at me to start off with but I stood my ground and she soon got the message that I am the leader and that I am safe and to be trusted. She is like a different horse! x
Click to expand...

This sounds fair enough to me.

Whilst I do not practice 'Join-Up', I can identify with radical changes in horses' attitudes and behaviours after one session of training. As long as the handler continues with the good work which brought about the change, the horse should maintain the new pattern of behaviour.

The OP's horse needed to learn that it was unacceptable to be aggressive and dominating in its behaviour toward her, and seems now to have got the message.
 
Just took her out for a hack without lunging or free schooling etc. and it was amazing she didn't bat an eyelid at anything she wasn't strong, stood still when I told her to and not trouble with the mounting block ( she always swings her derrier out) but she totally just stood there. When I was grooming her and doing some accupressure and pilates she just stood and ate. No kicking out or biting. All from one session of join up. Can't quite remember the member who put the comment about intelligent horsemanship, but thanks it really worked and has put my mind at rest! x
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top