Lunging aids

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HorseMad91

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I know this has probably been posted about many times before so apologizes.

What lunging aids do people favor and why?

Now the better weather is coming it's time to start getting the horses fit again and with time being limited during the week it's quicker for me to lunge then ride but i still want it to be beneficial. I've got a pessoa but my youngster is wary of it round his bum so spends more time worrying about it then actually working and it doesn't adjust small enough for my little pony so just looking at what else is out their.
 
Do without. My feeling about most lunging aids is the same as a check chain for a dog - if you are good enough to use it properly you are good enough to do without. What are you wanting to achieve? More engagement? Do transitions and spirals. More using the back? Get more engagement. More "outline"? Get more engagement...........................
 
I use a bungee over the head through the bit and between the front legs attached to the girth with a loop, it's very loose though it's in no way strapping his head to his knees, if you want something around his bum to mimic a pessoa you could just use a tail bandage tied to the surcingle you can make it as loose or tight as you want then to get him used to it, it then also has no connection to the bit like a pessoa as I find it jabs them in the mouth.
 
I like to lunge with driving reins as my mare responds more willingly that way than with the lunge line over her poll. Easiest with a surcingle and the bridle and that's all. She clearly responds to it more as if I was riding. If I don't have enough time to do that much, I use a rope halter with a long (12-15ft) lead to do lunging and then in-hand ground work like sidepassing or backing up.
 
Depends on the horse and what I need to achieve. As with any bit of kit you need to know what it is designed to achieve, how it works on your horse and how it fits correctly. If you are only looking at increasing cardio fitness then you don't really need anything. If you are looking at specific muscle development use the kit designed for that muscle group.
 
Side reins and a roller here, otherwise he will just fall in/out as he pleased, star gaze and not move properly behind. He needs a contact to be worked into.

Had a go lunging with two reins last week which was a revelation, I need more practise with it. Great thing is you can change rein whenever you want without stopping and use more of the arena. It's a bit more like riding them rather than going round in circles. Very good for me at the moment as can't see ride for another few months.
 
It depends what you're looking to achieve. Physio & vet both agreed that my mare was holding herself badly, which was causing her to be uncomfortable, which meant she was holding herself badly - vicious circle. They suggested pessoa but I'm not a fan of the action so researched & went with equiami. I don't lunge so much as school in hand with it (hock problems mean circles aren't a good idea).

Just a few weeks in, only light use and I can see the difference already. Not a quick solution for her problems but I popped on board for the first time in 3 weeks last Thurs and she was already softer.
 
stencilface said:
Had a go lunging with two reins last week which was a revelation, I need more practise with it. Great thing is you can change rein whenever you want without stopping and use more of the arena. It's a bit more like riding them rather than going round in circles. Very good for me at the moment as can't see ride for another few months.
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ahhhh glad you had a go! It's a fiddle to start with but easy once you get the hang of it and as you say, more versatile with the easy changes of rein and different shapes you can do. I have a pair of long reins which make it even easier, they are half rope and half tape so they slip through the rings on the roller nicely and aren't too heavy, but are easy to keep hold of :wink3:
 
Side reins and a tail bandage round the back, works like a pessoa but doesn't connect the front and back end so won't sock them in the mouth if they make a mistake. But do also use the pessoa if the side reins or tail bandage have gone walkabout :P Have also used a bungee and harbridge (on vet/physio advice) both on the lunge and ridden.
 
milliepops said:
ahhhh glad you had a go! It's a fiddle to start with but easy once you get the hang of it and as you say, more versatile with the easy changes of rein and different shapes you can do. I have a pair of long reins which make it even easier, they are half rope and half tape so they slip through the rings on the roller nicely and aren't too heavy, but are easy to keep hold of :wink3:
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I need to ask you for tips! I use the rings close to the top of the roller and tried to keep the outside rein just above his hock, is that the best way? He started off 'lame' but got better, think his canter was better than in the side reins, and he stretched down well too. I've always wanted a pair of long reins, but could never find any, at least not horse ones, have done rubberised pony ones, but they're only 2m long!

Just need to work towards getting better, although I'm OK at long reining so I wasn't too bad. Once I'm more practised I want to do it with my 5yo. I don't have any side reins to fit a 12.3, and I sure as heck can't ride him! :D
 
stencilface said:
I need to ask you for tips! I use the rings close to the top of the roller and tried to keep the outside rein just above his hock, is that the best way? He started off 'lame' but got better, think his canter was better than in the side reins, and he stretched down well too. I've always wanted a pair of long reins, but could never find any, at least not horse ones, have done rubberised pony ones, but they're only 2m long!

Just need to work towards getting better, although I'm OK at long reining so I wasn't too bad. Once I'm more practised I want to do it with my 5yo. I don't have any side reins to fit a 12.3, and I sure as heck can't ride him! :D
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just practice. I have some lines like these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Scan-Hors...6m-or-18m-Continental-Grip-Cord-/351045674171

I don't use the pulley. I also put them through the top ring of the roller as that is most like the position of the hand when riding. Depends on the horse as to the rest of it - some of them are better with the outside rein above the hock, if they are flighty it can be easier to let it lay over the back behind the roller instead.

Keep practicing :) it gets easier the more you do and then it's second nature. I thought I was going to get in a right tangle the first time I did it, but it was kind of necessary as K doesn't lunge, just doesn't get it. I needed the outside contact to teach her :o I think once you get the lines organised, you can start to learn to be more effective so you can work them into the contact, this is a touch more difficult than letting the side reins do the work for you but much more versatile :)
 
Yes, I need more work keeping the contact consistent for certain. I struggled with keeping him on a circle/direction and also keeping a contact on the outside rein, without him heading off through wrong way! I didn't get into a tangle though, and they didn't touch the floor so I take that as a win.

Behind the hock I think is better for him, flighty is not something he's familiar with! And I feel that it being there might encourage his hind leg. But it does make the circle smaller, so good to know over the back is good too, that certainly will be better with the 5yo.

Might get my instructor to give me a groundwork lesson next time instead of getting her to ride him. Can also work more on my Spanish walk too, hee hee! I find the most effective aid for that is a mint imperial :wink3:
 
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Side reins v.loose for 4yro or lunging with 2 lines.

Older horse is draw reins and tail bandage around bottom or lunging with 2 lines and tail bandage around bottom.

Horses for courses,I've had some lunge with nothing, some with s chambon, some only done with 2lines etc.
 
Thank you for everyone's opinions :)
Youngster struggles with being weak on one side so it's finding something that helps him use his muscles properly without using my pessoa as he hates it round his bum.
With my little pony he's just been out of work a little while so needs some topline and fitness. I've been looking at the fredericks lungie bungie by libbys that looks quite beneficial.
 
Current two are not lunged with anything. Large hooligan has a mental breakdown on the lunge if a saddle of roller is on him and ends up performing such an array of gymnastics that he requires physio to sort him out, so the physio has banned anything from being on his back on the lunge.

Small hairy diva is easily stifled on the lunge and she does not find it a particularly entertaining form of exercise, so I mainly focus on giving her a large circle and letting her show off a bit.

Both these horses are lunged purely as a form of exercise, rather than to assist with any particular schooling issues.

I did have a Dales pony who I lunged in loose side reins to help keep him straight. He had clearly been to the banana school of equitation in a previous existence.
 
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