lungeing on grass

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Horsekaren

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As a lot of you will know i have recently moved my horse, we have access to a lovely school but we also have a grass paddock for riding and schooling. Whilst the mornings are so dark i want to lunge a couple of times a week in the grass paddock as it is next to his field so saves a lot of time.
I attempted it this morning and it was all very exciting, he was full of beans which was nice but he would try and pull towards the entrance back into his field (he doesn't get away but when i pull him round he gets very excited, burst into a excitable canter on a small circle, he then slips on the grass and nearly goes down.

Do people lunge on grass? is it safe when they get a bit exited and skid a bit? We havnt had rain for 2 weeks so its not wet and im sure if he was to make these moves the rubber surface he would have the same almost falling over response. After he did that i brought him back to walk and we did a few walk trot transitions then i called it a day.

Obviously i dont want him hurting himself, i cant control when he chooses to have a loopy moment but instead of pulling out of the circle he tends to collapse into then loses his footing trying to bom around falling onto himself.

Would you continue this or is it maybe best to hold off? I have lunged him on grass before without issues but where its all new and exiting i need him to get over the buzz :P
 
I lunge mine on grass occasionally, and if over excited they can slip a bit but then usually sort themselves out. I feel that horses should be able to operate on any going (within reason, of course), but you do have to be in some sort of control - i.e. be able to stop on command if they're falling all over the place, or they will hurt themselves.
 
I only have grass so it's either lunge on grass or not at all. If it's particularly wet and slippy or if the ground is rock hard I do give it a miss though.
 
Have always lunged on grass, often in the dark. Main issue is then wanting to eat so would normally do the walk work more in hand if not using two lines , thankfully being a bloke he can’t eat and trot at the same time.
I’ve never worried too much about slipping as he’d always realise he had to be more careful.
 
I have the same issue as Ester, I can't lunge on grass because the bugger learnt that getting away from me meant nice tasty grass - despite being turned out all day on nice tasty grass *eyeroll* but I agree with Cortez that a horse has to learn how to balance himself on different surfaces as long as you're in control of the situation.
 
I have done many times, I've only had an arena the last few years, before that I only ever exercised on grass, lunging or otherwise.

As this is still quite a new place I would do a bit of slower groundwork on your lunging area until he's used to it all and then try lunging again, hopefully he will be less likely to fall
 
I've always lunged on grass, sometimes in preference over an arena surface. It can be slippy, but the horse needs to learn to engage its brain and its manners - once they get the idea, they usually stop being total idiots under normal circumstances. It does depend on how you lunge and the horse, but I have no issue lunging in w/t/c on grass, provided you have the control to stop them the moment something starts to look unsafe.
 
I lunge only on grass as I have no school, I try not to lunge if it's been wet for any length of time purely because I don't want to churn it up, I tend to do lots of transitions, pole work and as its quite a big area I can move around a lot so they aren't really on a small circle.
 
I'm another who has to lunge on grass and actually used to opt to lunge on grass (and sometimes on a slope shock horror ;) ). Depending on the horse and the footing of course its fine, not flat out, no motorbiking and lots of transitions and not for very long. My arena is actually my lawn lol and its kept flay and rolled for just that (although the dogs also use it). In one field I have a nice bit taped off for schooling and lunging-it drains well and once its grazed down I keep them off it.
 
Depends on horse and it’s relative levels of brains and balance. Mine doesn’t care about little details like staying upright, and has fallen over numerous times being a twit on lunge, loose in field or under saddle, so I’m a little careful what ground I’m on vs what mood he is in.
 
I spent most of last summer lunging on grass as it was better than our arena surface. I found it more slippery if the grass was damp and the ground hard than if it was softer and their hooves could dig in a bit.

Mine did go over once being an idiot then decided that wasn't a good idea and being sane was better.
 
The Beast can snack on the go we discovered while the were on quarantine and we had to long line in the field... She can't walk and poop but she can trot and eat.

OP - I reckon he's just excited cos it's all new. He'll settle, just take it steady.
 
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