Lungeing - Help!

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bex1984

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I had a go at lungeing my pony tonight, I've not really lunged him before and have only lunged other horses a few times, so I'm a bit rubbish and not very confident (my previous horse bucked, plunged and tanked off when I attempted lungeing)

This evening I really struggled. Started off lungeing him in his headcollar - he either just turned in and wandered towards me (not malicious, just coming to say hello and getting out of doing the work) or tanked off dragging me behind him.

So, I put his bridle on and tried again, and he stopped dragging me off but just kept turning in and walking over to me and then refusing to go back out.

Some other people on the yard came to give me a hand and walked round with him and then let go and he went round then, but then started coming back in to me.

He basically knows what to on the lunge but can't be bothered to do it, he's found a way out of it by walking up to the person lungeing him and not going away.

Any tips for next time I try lungeing? How can I get him to go out on a circle and stay out?! Any advice whatsoever will be gratefully received, as I'm very new to lungeing!

Thank you!
 
Learn how to lunge with two lines. You then effectively have control over both reins as you would when riding, and can turn him away from you and back onto the circle.
 
Make life easy for yourself - go to a riding instructor and have a lesson in how to lunge. Will be good for your health (less stress) if not bank balance :-)
Good luck
S
 
Get a lunge whip and every time he turns into you, flick the whip at his shoulder, he'll soon learn not to keep facing you. If you have a school with a fence round it, try loose schooling with just a lunge whip and get him used to working at a distance from you and also listening to your voice. Also try walking towards him quite forcefullywith the whip in front of you, he should move away.
Good Luck!!!
 
Had same prob with mine. Had a lesson last week. Basically don't let all the rein out, keep on a small circle to start with. Don't try and stand still, you need to be walking a smaller circle. Position yourself almost behind him if he is awkward but out of flying hooves way and use the whip to drive him forward. Keep him in trot to start and watch for any slowing down or lost of attention, that's when he's going to turn in. If he starts to turn hold your whip up to discourage him and grab the loose rein with the other hand before he steps on it. I found growling helps too! She also said practise for a short time at least twice a week, until he starts doing it properly. Good luck.
 
Thanks everyone, will try positioning myself behind him a bit and pushing him forwards as I think that might work.

Waving the whip, flicking the lungeline at him, jumping up and down, growling and generally leaping around like a loony trying to get him to go away don't work because he's not a spooky pony - he just stands there looking at me as though I've gone mad!

Keep the suggestions coming - he's being freezemarked in a few weeks so I won't be able to ride him for 4-6 days so will ahve to lunge him then because he's a fatty!
 
Echo the above advice you've had about the lungeing, but just thought I would comment on lungeing after freeemarking. When we had ours all done a few years ago we were told not to exercise them at all because the increased blood flow could make the skin blister. Not sure if that's correct but it's what farmkey told us, maybe just check with whoever marks your boy.
 
ooo OK thanks for that. I'll make sure I ask about whether I can exercise him. I'm sure he'd love a week off but I don't really want him to have one because he's overweight!!
 
Bridle and saddle on, stirrups down, tie stirrups together under belly. Attach one line to each side of the bit and run the lines through the stirrups o/s line goes above hocks. You will have to do some desensitising work first!

Then you have the pony controlled on both sides, can affect the lateral bend and the bend at the poll and have the feel of the mouth.

(It's rather like flying a kite.)
 
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