Lunging a young horse

[Iloveeverycat]

Hi,

my cob is three in May. He is well developed for his age (the vet couldn’t believe how young he is) , and he gets bored easily. He’s also quite strong on the ground , I’ve had him around five months and he did nothing before . I’ve started doing a small amount of lunging (nothing stupid like cantering around in circles or using a Pessoa). The main purpose is to get him listening to me (definitely not for muscle building or fitness) as he’s becoming difficult to handle on the ground . He seems to be enjoying it. It’s usually for around ten minutes on each side , he mostly walks and does a bit of trotting. My goal is to long rein instead of lunge but I can’t do this without some work in the ménage first. I also have an instructor with me to make sure I’m doing ok.

I’m aware that lunging at a young age is bad for them, but it seems to be doing him good as he was better to handle after just one session . I’ve only done it twice and only lunge him once every two weeks (so no more than twice a month) . Other than that , he doesn’t do anything other than play in the field , come into his stable for the night , be groomed etc as well as the other usual things such as picking his feet up. I’m worried he’s doing too much for his age though , what are your thoughts ? Like I said , it’s not particularly hard work and he’s not sweating or noticeably tired by the end

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I wouldn't very often and definitely wouldn't di any 'work'. How about long reining, less stress on the joints amd great prep for breaking in.

 

[Iloveeverycat]

I wouldn't very often and definitely wouldn't di any 'work'. How about long reining, less stress on the joints amd great prep for breaking in.

I said in the post , I’d much rather long rein but I need to do a bit in the ménage to get him used to the lunge lines etc first ? I’ll long rein rather than lunge once he’s ready

 

[windand rain]

I wouldn't lunge it is much better to plough line off a headcollar in young horses. I dont lunge until 6 or older. Once steady on the long lines I would walk out with them in front with a helper to get to them if they get a bit unsure. Leading out along roads teaches traffic sense and lots of ground work like agility keeps minds working and once he is 4 or more will make backing and hacking easier

 

[Iloveeverycat]

I wouldn't lunge it is much better to plough line off a headcollar in young horses. I dont lunge until 6 or older. Once steady on the long lines I would walk out with them in front with a helper to get to them if they get a bit unsure. Leading out along roads teaches traffic sense and lots of ground work like agility keeps minds working and once he is 4 or more will make backing and hacking easier

That’s my plan I’ve only lunged twice and will be long reining out of the school as soon as he’s ready , but he need a bit of work in the school
to get him used to the lines etc first . Just worried about even the small amount I’m doing

 

[Bellaboo18]

3 in May, I wouldn't be doing any work with him personally.

 

[windand rain]

I think you would be far better off doing ground work to get him used to the lines no circles at all, then move onto long reining in straight lines aroud the arena and mixing in a few obstacles in the arena. Then walk him out around the roads then long rein out to meet traffic as independantly as possible but have a foot soldies with you to help give him confidence. Mostly let him be a young horse he should only be doing a few minutes every now and again
three and a half

 

[Iloveeverycat]

I think you would be far better off doing ground work to get him used to the lines no circles at all, then move onto long reining in straight lines aroud the arena and mixing in a few obstacles in the arena. Then walk him out around the roads then long rein out to meet traffic as independantly as possible but have a foot soldies with you to help give him confidence. Mostly let him be a young horse he should only be doing a few minutes every now and againView attachment 87858
three and a half

Thank you that looks similar to what I’m doing now , he’s walks around the ménage more rather than small circles. I think I may have been wrong to say I was lunging because although I’m using a ménage we’re more walking around with him using the long reins rather than making him go in a circle around us .

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just use the whole school more than on a circle most of the time I always lunge like that anyway, it will get you fit as well as you do far more running about I always start mine off in the school on a lunge line.

 

[sbloom]

Get the Manolo Mendez DVD, he does lunge but he does a huge variety of work and really prepares the horse correctly to be ridden. So many horses are handicapped by being started when their posture isn't right and it usually ends badly (though so often appears as just a run of the mill injury eg tendon, or something like poor hoof balance)

 

[Iloveeverycat]

I would just use the whole school more than on a circle most of the time I always lunge like that anyway, it will get you fit as well as you do far more running about I always start mine off in the school on a lunge line.

That’s what I’ve been doing ?x

 

[Iloveeverycat]

Get the Manolo Mendez DVD, he does lunge but he does a huge variety of work and really prepares the horse correctly to be ridden. So many horses are handicapped by being started when their posture isn't right and it usually ends badly (though so often appears as just a run of the mill injury eg tendon, or something like poor hoof balance)

Thank you ? I’ll have a look. Like I said it’s only once every two weeks

 

[sbloom]

Thank you ? I’ll have a look. Like I said it’s only once every two weeks

Groundwork is brilliantly useful with young horses, and even, very gradually, loading them with weight, but if you don't understand, and set up correctly, good posture, then everything you do is training them to move in a compromised manner and sure, only doing it once a fortnight or so, will do less harm than rushing them, but if you do it right, you may find you can do a little something with him every day, or several times a week, and make him mentally and physically ready for backing.

 

[Iloveeverycat]

Groundwork is brilliantly useful with young horses, and even, very gradually, loading them with weight, but if you don't understand, and set up correctly, good posture, then everything you do is training them to move in a compromised manner and sure, only doing it once a fortnight or so, will do less harm than rushing them, but if you do it right, you may find you can do a little something with him every day, or several times a week, and make him mentally and physically ready for backing.

Thanks ? I have an instructor to help/ advise me to make sure I’m doing things correctly . I just worry because he’s a good horse and I don’t want to ruin him , he just really needs the groundwork as I’ve already broken a bone and what we’re doing in the ménage with him is really helping . He isn’t nasty , he’s just full of himself and a big boy

 

[sbloom]

Thanks ? I have an instructor to help/ advise me to make sure I’m doing things correctly .

Your trainer may be one of the exceptions but posture isn't something widely understood in many areas of the horsey world, have a look at the DVD or even just his FB page and look at how the horses move and I'd hazard a guess you'll start to see the difference.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

That’s what I’ve been doing ?x

I sort of do a bit of groundwork in with the lunging around the whole school and I teach them from my voice from the off, both of my horses move and stop from my voice alone although they are 17 and 18 now so they should know what I want by now!

 

[Iloveeverycat]

Your trainer may be one of the exceptions but posture isn't something widely understood in many areas of the horsey world, have a look at the DVD or even just his FB page and look at how the horses move and I'd hazard a guess you'll start to see the difference.

I’ll have a look for sure , thank you

 

[Goldenstar]

There’s Lunging and Lunging a session of twenty minutes three or so times a week is fine IMO as long as you are moving round the whole school not stuck on a circle .
There’s every reason to work to build up muscle you need to work towards having him stretch forwards in walk with an over track and lower his neck this starts to build the back muscle that he will use to carry the rider .

 

[MarvelVillis]

I would also echo other comments and avoid lunging and just stick to long reining. When my youngster was 3, I had a instructor help me with long reining. We did one session in the school for him to get the basics and then we were straight out on the roads. I think they find it easier as they are going in straight lines rather than in the school which they may find quite boring too. I also subscribe to Miri Hackett's Patreon page and she does a groundwork series which I followed with my youngster who is now very good on the ground.

 

[Iloveeverycat]

I would also echo other comments and avoid lunging and just stick to long reining. When my youngster was 3, I had a instructor help me with long reining. We did one session in the school for him to get the basics and then we were straight out on the roads. I think they find it easier as they are going in straight lines rather than in the school which they may find quite boring too. I also subscribe to Miri Hackett's Patreon page and she does a groundwork series which I followed with my youngster who is now very good on the ground.

Thank you , I fully agree . Like I said , he’s not the easiest horse and my plan is to long rein he just needs a few sessions in the ménage to get him used to it as I don’t have a field to do it in. I’ve actually only had him in the ménage twice and it wasn’t proper lunging as it was more walking around with him. I fully understand and agree that lunging a young horse isn’t good and long reining is better I just need to get him there but I think it’ll only take one more session in the school . I won’t be backing him early either I’m waiting until he’s around four and doing loads of ground work first over summer x

 

[MarvelVillis]

Thank you , I fully agree . Like I said , he’s not the easiest horse and my plan is to long rein he just needs a few sessions in the ménage to get him used to it as I don’t have a field to do it in. I’ve actually only had him in the ménage twice and it wasn’t proper lunging as it was more walking around with him. I fully understand and agree that lunging a young horse isn’t good and long reining is better I just need to get him there but I think it’ll only take one more session in the school . I won’t be backing him early either I’m waiting until he’s around four and doing loads of ground work first over summer x

Sounds like a good plan

 

[Goldenstar]

There’s nothing wrong with lunging young horses as long as you know what you are going .

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I use groundwork to get a young horse to respect space and commands better. I think they are taught more about listening and respect from groundwork than from lunging.

However, I think groundwork needs to be structured and consistent with the same commands as you’d use when ridden in order for it not to cause confusion and frustration down the line.

Asking Mimosa to move her quarters away from me and then to move her shoulders away from me has paid off hugely now that we are doing lateral work.

I stupidly taught back-up by standing in front of her and touching my hand to her chest or shoulder, asking her to move away from me.

She backs up brilliantly on the ground but now that I’m in the saddle, there isn’t a person in front of her asking her to step back from them. I’ve had to re-teach the command from bridle pressure. I should have taught her at her shoulder, asking her to move back from headcollar pressure to start with - it would have been far less confusing.