Lunge Lesson tips

[Mattb125]

Hi
Im a young instructor training towards my IT exam and am looking for some tips for giving really good lunge lessons.
Any experiences you had with good instructors or exercises learnt that have really helped improve your position would be great.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Matt

 

[Baileyboo]

When I was younger (about 9ish) my then instructor gave me a lunge lesson that I have always remembered, it went something like this-
set stirrups so that you really have to reach down for them- canter until you nearly fall off.
set stirrups so you're almost in jockey position- again canter till you nearly fall off (or did in my case)
Teaches you the importance of having the right length stirrups and also what length feels right. Well it worked for me anyway.

 

[Law]

I suppose lunge lessons are going to be different for every person you teach. I had one a few months ago where I had a couple of circles with stirrups but no reins and then had my stirrups taken off me. So it was no reins and no stirrups, lots of trot work- really working on getting my arms to relax and hang from the shoulder and elbows soft. Work on keeping my hands still with nothing in them and then work on getting my upper leg back and in a better line. Then we worked on using my seat to vary the speed within the trot and even using my seat to come back to walk and halt. All whilst trying to keep my arms hanging correctly.

We then did some canter work; again working on riding the canter with my seat to get him more forward and then using my seat to slow him down too.

Hope this helps.

 

[Syrah]

I found that working with no stirrups on the lunge helped my position and balance.

I did various different exercises with my arms in different positions too to help.

 

[Nats_uk]

Best exercises I did were to take my stirrups away, release my reins (keeping hands on pommel) and practice changing the tempo in trot and canter and also changing up/down gaits e.g. trot to canter, trot to walk, walk to canter etc

 

[Baileyboo]

Oh and my friend had to do sitting trot with a plastic party cup full of water.

 

[Mattb125]

Great thanks for the feedback everyone my only concern is what goes as safe these days.For Ptt its contact with at least one hand on the saddle or rein unless in halt.What about stretches for shoulders exercises for the legs anyone.
Also any BHSI in the house who can assist with clalifying whether no stirrups reins is allowed?

Thanks
Matt

 

[Baileyboo]

Yeah sorry Matt, I was going to say that my lesson and my friends were about 13 years ago so might not be allowed now? Actually not so sure it was allowed then.........

 

[Mattb125]

No worries Baileyboo would be great just a shame we live in fear of no win no fee claims.Remember being lunged as a kid no stirrups no reins eyes closed!

 

[BeckyD]

Many many years ago I had a series of lunge lessons (I was about 15) and my instructor (BHSAI). All of it was done without stirrups. She had me doing circles with my arms in walk trot canter, swinging them around starting with just one of them and built up to doing both going different ways in all paces. If you now have to have one hand on the saddle/reins you could do that with just the one arm circling.

I also had to lift my legs away from the saddle (very painful to start with) in all paces in order to free my hips and (I think) deepen my seat. I held onto the pommel whilst doing that (I still do it now off the lunge as it's a great exercise). Much more useful out of halt as it really stretches you.

The other thing was to lift knees up in front so you're sitting on your seat bones with knees together, then open knees out to side and drop back down. That was quite tricky in trot and really made you use your hips. I did that with my arms out straight to the side in order to help me balance.

If I think of any more I'll add them in later.

 

[Mattb125]

Thanks Becky thats perfect just what I was looking for.I want to build a porfolio of ideas so i can draw up a good lunge lesson plan.

 

[Mattb125]

Hi Nats
Thanks for the feedback.
Did you do anything like holding on closing your eyes and counting the steps feeling the tempo?

 

[Nats_uk]

I counted the number of strides on the circle and tried to decrease and increase the amount. Also practiced spiraling the circle in and leg yielding out as well with no contact.

Didn't do the eyes closed thing - although that does sound a very good idea my horse is extremely spooky (often with no warning!) so I get nervous enough with no reins or stirrups, let alone not being able to see any scary monsters that approach

I might be brave and try that next time I have one though (I'm blaming you if I die!lol!

)

 

[Mattb125]

Thats great and yes maybe eyes closed would be horse dependent as I know several horses I wouldn't want to close my eyes on!

 

[happy_talk]

I've a lunge lesson at BHS stables where I did walk and trot without no stirrups or reins, and canter with 1 hand. i think it's really important to be able to at least try no stirrups or reins- it really makes you think about what you are doing and how important the movement/position of every part of your body is. Although when I took my (new longer length) stirrups back I seemed to have lost the ability to rise to trot- very weird feeling!
I also did arm circling, arms out front, arms out back, arms out side in trot- not sure if it helped loosen shoulders but gives you confidence in your balance by being able to take hands away and out of the usual position and away from the saddle to cling to!
What about eyes closed and saying when a certain foot is contacting the ground?

 

[Tiffany]

When I have a lunge lesson I like to work without stirrups and eyes closed. It really helps you feel what's happening underneath you and makes you sit up and sit deep so you don't loose your balance.

 

[clipclop]

Starting with circling ankles outwards, then extend that rotation up the leg stretching a little more until the rotation is coming from the hip. (Not sure if that is the best way to explain it but it certainly releases the hip joint, stretches the leg down and makes you feel as one with the horse.
Arms circling, again building it up until the circling includes your waist. stretching right forward, right up in to the air, all the way back so you are looking at the horses tail and all the way down aiming to brush your ankle with your hand.
Leaning right forward and leaning right back.
shrugging your shoulders and tightening all your neck, face and shoulder area. Releasing after a few seconds to help you feel where you are holding tension in your upper body. This helps to relax everything.
Gentle neck rotations from left, roll down forward to the right and back again.
Arms out and twist round to the left and the to the right (Not a good one if rider needs to have hand on saddle).
Some good things I have heard whilst riding on the lunge.
Imagine the area where your sternum meets your abdomen is a diamond. I always get told to "Show off my diamonds"!! LOL. It makes me sit tall and sit back without becoming tense in my back.
Hope those things help you.