Lungeing problem please help!

[jenbleep]

Yesterday I lunged Frankie............he was going really well, started to stretch down and relax, but he was still a bit lazy. So there I am with the whip chasing after him (not literally you understand!!

) and I don't know but I *think* I may have caught him on the back legs with it, and he stopped, turned to me as if to say '[****] the hell off!'

and then wouldn't go forward at all.

This was on the right rein. So I walked up to him and asked him to walk around me again, but he was having none of it, and just started to back up and attempted to rear

So I thought I'd trick him and make him go back on the other rein, which he did for a good while so i thought I'd take him back on the other rein.

Again, wasn't having any of it, started backing up and turning into me

His owner was watching me

and she said she did this with her, and she thought it was because he was stiff (when she lunged him it was after I had a tough lesson on him, and didn't ride him the next day) Thing is, I think that is BS (*is it??*)

I talked to my friend last night and she said he was taking the p!ss, and I was to get after him. How the hell do I do that without getting my head kicked in

because he did buck at me

a few times last night when I got after him!

meh

I'm not the best at lungeing can you tell??

ALSO -

when you lunge do you have the lunge line in one or both hands?

thanks

 

[AmyMay]

I thought he had a cough??? I wouldn't want to do much either if I had a bad chest..........

 

[jenbleep]

well i said i was going up there to see what he was like and he was fine! He sounded clear. But he had been out all day, and last night she tells me he has to be in for 2 days.............

so god knows what he will be like today and tomorrow

 

[sfward]

I would use two reins to stop him turning in, and to give you a bit more control if he starts messing about. But if you're not a very confident at lunging then maybe you could practice on something else first??!

 

[dixie]

My initial reaction is that it is strange that he is fine on the left rein but not on the right, this suggests to me that he is in pain on this rein.

Can you make it more fun with him with a few poles on the ground and see what his reaction is then?

Also have you got 2 lunge reins and you could then long rein him and gradually introduce the circles. I agree you can't chase him forwards safely.

 

[jenbleep]

Can't use two reins...........long story but he hates anything around his bum - if he feels something he dips his bum and runs off (or tries to) I have tried him in a pessoa and he did it then.

I could do with an extra pair of hands but his owner was there and she was just watching me.

I have lunged horses before and I have been fine; even ones that don't play ball! But I have not had one that just walks backwards

I feel like giving up tbh - all I ever seem to have is problems with Frankie

just having one of them days

 

[sfward]

In which case I would either not lunge (it's not essential after all), or get someone to help you so you can work through the problem properly. What does he do loose schooling? Perhaps this might be worth a try to see how he reacts and get him paying more attention to your body language?

 

[jumpthemoon]

Did he have side reins or anything on?

 

[jenbleep]

[ QUOTE ]
My initial reaction is that it is strange that he is fine on the left rein but not on the right, this suggests to me that he is in pain on this rein.

Can you make it more fun with him with a few poles on the ground and see what his reaction is then?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a plan to use poles with him - I just wanted to see how it went last night as I had a bungie on him that he doesn't normally have. But lungeing with poles is something I defiantly want to try

I agree with you on the pain comment - his owner has said that he acted like that with her on that rein but she said it was because i didn't ride him after a tough lesson and he was 'stiff'. Sometimes I don't think she knows what he is talking about, and if i said to her 'maybe get the back woman out for a check' she dismisses me and says not to worry.

How can I not worry about him??????

 

[little_flea]

Not easy to explain in writing, but when lungeing, make sure you are always positioned a bit "behind" the horse - this gives you greater control when it comes to moving them forward. Also, if they start to turn in towards you, you have to keep moving so you are behind them and the rein doesn't go slack - this tricks the horse a bit and usually makes him move out onto the circle.

 

[jenbleep]

Sorry just to clarify I am not getting frustrated at anyone here - just my relationship with Frankie's owner!!

jump the moon last night he has a lungie bungie thing on. (Black thing I got from Shires?) It was loose enough as it was the first time he had one on.

I could try loose schooling but the yard where I am it is very 'keep yourself to yourself' so I might find it difficult to find someone to help me

but I will give that a go as I would love to see him loose.

I am seeing my instructor on Saturday so I could see what she suggests then.

 

[jumpthemoon]

Has he had his teeth checked? I'd try lungeing in just a cavesson and get him to go on a really big circle and see if it makes any difference? It does sound like he's uncomfortable if he'll go on one rein and not the other....

 

[jenbleep]

Apparently he had his teeth checked in early December, but his owner informs me that his teeth aren't the best conformation wise so that could be an avenue to look at. To be honest if he was mine and I had the money I would have everything checked out

I am so frustrated with the whole situation

 

[jumpthemoon]

It must be really frustrating as it sounds like his owner has different ideas to you about standards of care! I don't really know what you can do other than try to talk to her about it, maybe offer to pay/arrange it or something? It's difficult as I can imagine you don't want to come across as interfering. Can't you just buy him off her?

 

[jenbleep]

Hehe well I don't know if you remember or read it on here but I did ask to have him on loan, and she said no (I want to take him to Cornwall

) but I am going to ask her if she will sell him to me. I even had a dream about him last night how sad is that!

It is frustrating because although I said I will ride him to get him fit and build on his topline, the main thing is that he's happy and not pain or sore anywhere. He is so honest that even if he was in a lot of pain he wouldn't do anything to drastic. If I suggest things like 'i think the back person should come out' etc etc i don't want her to think I am poking my nose in - and she would say 'i can't afford it' and she doesn't trust my judgment anywhoo.

I know I keep going on about it sorry

 

[dwi]

Your lunge whip might be longer than mine but mine doesn't even come close to clipping Daisy's legs when I lunge. Are you sure that he was on a big enough circle? If he was on too tight a circle it could be putting too much pressure on his joints and making him uncomfortable

 

[jumpthemoon]

Oh I remember you were going to ask but I dodn't know she'd said no - what a shame

Hopefully she'll sell him - it doesn't sound like she's got much time for him, anyway.

I imagine she likes to think she knows best, as she is the 'Owner' therefore obviously more knowlegable than you, being a mere 'Sharer'...

When do you go to Cornwall?

 

[jenbleep]

She has 3 horses and a pony, and everything is always 'it can be done tomorrow.....when I have time' etc etc and 'I'm so skint can't afford the back woman' which is understandable having horses but maybe she could let me take one of her hands lol!!!! god I sound like a right bitch don't I?! I get that she is his owner at the end of the day so maybe I should just keep my trap shut but ti's hard not to get involved!

I'm going down to Cornwall as soon as I get a job - hopefully in about 3 months!

It will be tough if I do have to leave him behind though - like I've been dumped lol!

 

[jenbleep]

[ QUOTE ]
Your lunge whip might be longer than mine but mine doesn't even come close to clipping Daisy's legs when I lunge. Are you sure that he was on a big enough circle? If he was on too tight a circle it could be putting too much pressure on his joints and making him uncomfortable

[/ QUOTE ]

thats a good point - it wasn't on a tight circle but roughly between 15 and 18 minutes, at a guess? Because he is so lazy I do have to chase up up a bit (again just to clarify, not literally!

) so I probably was stood a bit to the back of him, rather then in an exact triangle

Need to get a new lunge whip as the one I used is held together by duck tape - lovely

 

[jumpthemoon]

I'm sure you probably know just as much as she does, and even if you don't, it sounds like you spend more time with the horse and notice things that she either doesn't notice or isn't bothered about! I hope she sells him to you - you sound like you'd give him a nice home

 

[jenbleep]

Keep your fingers crossed!!!

 

[MrsMagoo]

Hey hun

Only just read your post - sounds exactly like Star at the mo, although i'd say she is slightly worse as she actually rears at me and comes at me with teeth - deffo not a happy bunny

Sooo frustrating and scares the crap out of me...

Anyway - point is Stars behaviour seems to stem down to her having quite a bad back problem which my oesteopath assessed last Sat and sorted. She said that would be the cause of her agression as she is in pain and literally finds it hard to work forward!! Hopefully now we have sorted it and back on a slow track...BUT maybe he has a niggle somwhere?

 

[jenbleep]

Hello

It is slightly worrying that he is acting so out of character - and his owner even mentioned it herself (blimey!

) so I will mention the back lady tonight. He has been in all day today

as there is some building rubbish going on through his field (such a shame on such a nice day!

) so I don't know if he will be wheezy like he was the other day, and I might lunge again to see what he's like - his right rein is defiantly worse

then talk to his owner - the back woman came out back in October sometime so perhaps he's due another visit?

Thing is if i was to say to his owner 'perhaps that is why he is not building up muscle, because he has a niggle somewhere?' she will say 'it's your riding' or something like that!!

yeah thanks for the vote of confidence

I said that I would like for him to have a full 'MOT' as it were - just get the whole lot checked out!

His saddle was checked before Christmas, but I didn't ride for her (no lights and it was too dark) and she said she was back to the yard in January so I could ride for her then. I asked Frankie's owner has she been and she said 'oh yes, last week'.

What was the problem with Star?

 

[JACQSZOO]

I had the same problem with my horse a while back - it was his teeth. Do you lunge from the bit? If you do try lunging in a cavesson to see if it is his teeth.