lunged my pony over a jump today....

Firehorse

Firehorse

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i'm not really into jumping, altho hve done in the past and enjoyed it. its a confidence thing! anyhow, my pony was jumped loads in his previous home and loved it. he's not seen a jump in 8 months, and i wanted to give him something else to think about today, so put up a tiny jump - only inches big, those blox thingies lying down flat. i was totally expecting him to get excited and charge off, but what did he do?? duck out as often as he cud and run round the side of the jump!!! when i lunged my other pony over jumps, she went mad for it and kept going and going!!! but this one, really cudnt be bothered.

do you think this means he's actually not that fussed about jumping or that he just isnt used to being lunged over jumps?
 
Could be either... Or just not in the mood for it that day... or if he has done loads might not be too fussed by super-small ones... Share horsey likes something that looks like a little challenge, if he can easily trot over it then he tends not to bother but *loves* free schooling over slightly bigger ones.

We sometimes lunge but the place I'd do that I can free school in so tend to do that as it feels more playful - he'll make detours to jump mounting blocks if there are any around but isn;t that interested in poles on the floor.

Maybe try again another time?
 
Personally, I will never jump a horse on the lunge, as always at some point the lunge line will pull and punish them.

If you want to jump him, loose school him over fences where he has the freedom to show you, what he enjoys without fear of being penalised for his willingness.

A horse that throws a big jump on the lunge will either be stopped in the air or pretty soon after they land, and hence not enjoy the experience.

Let him free, and then see what he shows you.
 
wud love to let him free, but we only hve a grass paddock to use and all he wud do is stop and eat! its quite large so i wud be forever running around to get after him! it wud be me, not him getting the exercise. lol!
 
Well at least lunge from a head collar rather than anything with a bit then. Or could you set up a jumping 'path' for free work so that he goes between a row of high poles and the fence over little jumps?
 
Sorry, disagree. You CAN lunge over a fence without upsetting the rhythm or punishing. It just takes some activity from the handler, decent placement of the fence and common sense. But don't do it if you're not happy!

OP, careful of 'teaching' him to run round the fence!
 
If he has jumped a lot, maybe he wants something more like a jump than a raised trotting pole. I'd lunge off a cavesson without bridle, or you could have bridle on without reins (so not much difference really) put the jump up against the fence of the area where you are working so he can only run out on the inside..chances are he might start enjoying it once he realises he is actually jumping and working.

Unless you're going to follow it through and make him jump the jumps it's probably be better not doing this, because it would in effect be teaching him that running out is okay..
 
Duggan - I know what you mean but as a relatively inexperienced lunger (is that a word?) over jumps, which I assume the OP is too, I prefer to play safe so that it remains a positive experience for all. With a more experienced person around I try a little more but if it is just me I try to make sure we both have fun. So, yes, I agree with both the concern about punishign good behaiviour an dthat it can be avoided.

Interestingly, thinking about this, the last time I lunged (rather than free schooled) over jumps it was becasue I didn't have enough wings to make a few proper ones and he was running out round the little ones when free schooling. Flew over the larger ones either free or with head collar & lunge :-)
 
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