Lungeing - GRRR!! Any advice?!

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bex1984

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I HATE lungeing with a passion
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But because of all the rain I couldn't ride last night, so I had to lunge the little monster because he is getting fat(ter). I normally avoid lungeing like the plague
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My pony is really good on one rein. He mainly goes off voice commands, walks, trots, stands when asked (wouldn't canter but that's another story...).

On the other rein he is a monster
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He turns in on me constantly and turns round. He is reluctant to even let me stand on that side of him when he has his lunge rein attached. The weird thing is the rein he is difficult on is his good rein when ridden
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...I don't understand it. I eventually got him going but I had to stand well behind his shoulder and stay close to him to stop him turning in.

Any suggestions/advice for how I can deal with it? I've always thought he was just being awkward (he is a stubborn little monkey) but I'm beginning to think he might have had a bad experience or something in the past?
 
My mare prefers one rein to the other. Just make sure you stay behind his shoulder and if you can't move too far away, walk a circle yourself, so that he still works on a reasonable size circle. I think if you did more lunging, he would improve. Also try doing some lateral work in hand to get him used to you working him from the ground. It can also be helpful to lunge with two lines (if you are happy doing so).
 
I used to have a youngster who was a nightmare for whipping around on one rein when I lunged him. I was lunging him off a lunge cavesson on the middle ring. My trainer at the time advised lunging him in a bridle with two reins and we never looked back. For him he really needed the support of the outside rein and when he didn't have it he was lost. After a few months of this I could go back to a normal lunginng cavesson and he was fab.

Marie
 
Make sure that you are giving him enough rein to actually get out on. It may be that you are subconciously holding the rein too tight and he has no-where to go.
You could try getting someone to lead him out on the circle till he gets the idea.
Or you could try long-reining him, then you should have more control over his direction.
Or you could try letting someone else lunge him to see if it is just you he is playing up to, or not.
Best of luck.
 
Thanks both
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PS - I felt like I'd walked miles last night walking circles to keep him on a bigger circle because as soon as I got any further away he turned in!! I'll try the in hand work - do you mean encouraging him to step over/leg yield in hand etc?

i lunged him in his bridle last night because last time I lunged him in a cavesson he galloped off and I ended up flat on my face in the school (he quite clearly thought this was hilarious
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).

How do I lunge with two lines?
 
It could be that he is doing this on his 'good rein' because he is stronger on it and can resist you better.

Some good advice here already - I would get someone to help you and make it a large circle if you can so that it is easier for him.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Make sure that you are giving him enough rein to actually get out on. It may be that you are subconciously holding the rein too tight and he has no-where to go.
You could try getting someone to lead him out on the circle till he gets the idea.
Or you could try long-reining him, then you should have more control over his direction.
Or you could try letting someone else lunge him to see if it is just you he is playing up to, or not.
Best of luck.

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Thanks - I was trying to give him plenty of rein to make sure it wasn't me pulling him in. He does know what he's supposed to be doing...and he also knows how to get out of doing it!! I have asked more experienced people to have a go in the past - he still trys it but gives up a little bit quicker.

I'd like to try long reining, but don't even know where to start?
 
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It could be that he is doing this on his 'good rein' because he is stronger on it and can resist you better.

Some good advice here already - I would get someone to help you and make it a large circle if you can so that it is easier for him.

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Thanks - I hadn't thought of it that way.

I'll try and find someone to give me a hand next time. I did a lot of walking last night to keep him on a big circle!!
 
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I'd like to try long reining, but don't even know where to start?

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Is your boy likely to kick?
If the answer is yes, then undertake longreining with extreme caution, if at all.

To try long reining, get two lunge lines.
Tack your horse up for riding, normal bridle and saddle.
Attach your lunge rein to one side the bit, and lead it back through the stirrup on that side.
Do the same with the other side.
I would get an assistant to help you at first as it is easy to get the reins all fankled up.
With an assistant holding the horse's head, feed your reins out and stand behind and slightly to one side. (out of reach of the feet!)
Take up a normal contact and ask the horse to walk on.
Good for fittening the rider too!
You can move into trot if the horse feels ok, but be careful that you don't get towed along.
If things start to go pearshaped you can let go one rein and you then automatically come into lunging position.
It does take practice, but a lot can be done on long reins.
A roller works as well as a saddle, if you have enough rings on it.
A driving pad is ideal.
Best of luck, just be sure to have an assistant for those first steps if you are not sure.
 
Thanks, that's really helpful. He doesn't kick, but does like to tow me about!! I might well give it a go at some point if I can rope someone in as assistant
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Good luck with the long reining. I am sure it will help with your problem tremendously once you give it a go.
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Bex - my coloured mare used to do exactly the same thing. Ended up using two lines - one going through cavesson on outside and round her bum and then the normal lungeline. I would hold normal one, and friend would take another, therefore if she tried to turn in, then she could be physically stopped. She was just being a total toad. Worked quite well, as person with outside line can get in closer and push forward with whip and make angry noises! Then, you can try holding both ....slow but works.

It should also help when just starting (you know, can't even get to the side of him - exactly the same - my mare would just face me as I tried to go round her side!)

Was a bit uncoventional, but now she is perfect to lunge..I barely pay any attention and just make the odd 'good girlie!'
 
Have the same problem. Find I just have to be quicker than him. In particular watching the ears for signs that he is thinking of turning in. Then I growl and flick the whip at his shoulder. Practice also helps. My instructor said to lunge every day for two weeks and this really helped as I had been avoiding it as he was horrible. I now only have to point at his shoulder and he moves further out.
 
I hate lunging but the other night my YM long reined my horse and he went like a dream. I've never done long reining but I've booked a lesson now!!
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Apalacia01 - thanks, glad to hear someone else has had the same problem and overcome it, I'll give your suggestion a go.

spider, I should probably lunge him more but i do avoid it because he's such a monster and we get cross with each other!! I can be quicker than him if I stand level with his back end, but not if I stand level with his shoulder....I think I need to quicken up my reactions!
 
George used to do the same, I lunged with 2 reins (oh boy you should have seen the mess we got in, good job George was patient whilst I untied the knots
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!) but the difference it made to him was great - he seemed to like having the extra rein to balance, and it was great as you can go round the school walking behind doing figure of 8s etc.!
 
Herbs is just the same when lunging, great on the left rein but on the right rein agggggrrrr
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He try's and turns in at the exact same spot EVERY time .... he's just trying it on though and a little 'push' normally sorts him out. Bit like a naughty child pushing his boundaries .... its a bit like 'ok Mum see what you do about this then ...... oh thats what you do, oh ok then I'll go but you wait until I get to this exact same spot again then we will see who's boss!'
lol you have to love him, he's such a baby even though he's 13!
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Tried the double lunge rein but he just took off with one rein flaling behind
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did not have the luxury of having someone to help so have not tried since
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great tips in this post though ... thanks
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Bex
OMG your lovely hairy monster sounds so much like mine, mine will spin, rear incredibly high, nearly went over backwards and hen when he landed, charged at me and somehow managed to squash me in the corner of the school
i long rein and lunge with two lines and i then don't have a problem with it which is very odd :S bu when long reining and i ask him to trot, i start laughing because it feels like i am chasing him lol.
if you don't like lunging, could you take him for a walk up the road? just for 15 minutes?
 
Bex, keep at it with the bridle, but try changing HOW you attach the lunge line. Some attatch it through the inside bit ring to the outside bit ring (under the chine) , others seem to go better with it from the inside bit ring, over the poll and down to the outside bit ring. This means you cannot change rein easily, but if it works, it works...

I personally always lunge with two reins. Similar to long reining (as someone else described) but the outside rein goes behind the quarters and back to you in the middle. It can be tricky to get the hang of to start with. If you need a hand, give me a shout and I'll happily come and show you
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I've also got a roller here that would fit him...

You'd be pleasantly suprised how using two reins suddenly makes lungeing a positive experience for horse and handler, after a bit of practice. I've had three ponies who would NOT lunge, would pull, buck, barge. After lungeing with two lines I got them all lungeing and long reining nicely, not to mention safely.
 
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If you need a hand, give me a shout and I'll happily come and show you
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I've also got a roller here that would fit him...



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Thank you - I may well take you up on that...I'll see how I get on
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I attach the lungeline over his poll - I used to do it under his chin but had even less control then!!
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mosh - surely our silly horseys make so much more work for themselves being so difficult?!
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Good plan about taking him for a walk though - we'd both benefit from that anyway as it might help with my hacking-phobias!
 
I'd suggest 2 reins as well. My TB has a nasty habit of managing to look like he's going in a circle with his head facing me in the middle
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He will also rush and bury himself on the forehand. I used 2 reins as a last resort one day as I could just not get him to go straight and I was shocked at the difference. I now use 2 reins all the time now as I find I have much more speed control from the outside rein and I can all give his back end a good tug if he starts wandering off.
 
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