Lunging before riding

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emma.is

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Hi, who lunges before they ride? I have been lunging my mare before I school her recently, because she's on reduced turnout. Today I didn't lunge her before I schooled because I didn't have time and she was better than usual! Opinions?
 
Personally i don't as I don't have a reason too but a girl at my yard does. Her tb mare has been off work for 4 months so lunges her for 10 minutes beforehand.
I think its a good idea just to take the edge off if they seem particularly fresh, no need otherwise!
 
Where I work the owner always does and my boss usually does as they think it allows them to warm up naturally. I don't as to be honest I cant be bothered and they have highly strung competition horses fed well and not turned out much who you cant really ride on a long rein without a death wish!
 
With a very tense horse I might pop them on the line for 10 - 15 mins before riding now and again to save time, effort (mine, if i have a lot to ride that day), and let the horse relax a bit before going to work in earnest. Not every time, 'tho, and not as a substitute for proper work.
 
thanks for everybodys input! I did start for a reason, she was coming back into work and because of an a-symetrical pelvis her back muscles were very weak so I'd do her pessoa work and then cool her down under saddle and gradually decreased the time in a pessoa and increased the ridden work.

I think I need to bite the bullet and stop lunging before I ride!
 
I lunge before schooling but not before hacking... If I'm schooling I will go for a short 10-15 min warm up hack or lunge, that way I can get on and begin to do the actual 'work' knowing that Ben is nicely warmed up. For instance this week,
Day 1 lunge, walk/trot and little canter
Day 2 lone hack, with walk trot transitions all the way home
Day 3 hack in company, walk/trot and canter
Day 4 warm up on lunge and school, lots of walk and trot transitions, halt and rein-back
Day 5 chilled hack out with company (tomorrow)
Day 6 &7 weekend off


Edited to say, Ben is a baby and very hollow when you start riding him, he really needs to warm up before he uses himself properly, lunging or even a wee hack out stops him from racing in the school and evading.
 
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I did it with my just backed arab for months it just used to take the edge off him, i would do it with a young or very fresh horse just to get some energy out really could prevent a fall s its not a bad thing in my view.
 
No, and I always think if they need it to take the edge off then you are getting them fitter and fitter every time. I long lined my 4yr old a couple of times before I sat on her then the third time I just got on and went hacking. (She was backed before I bought her but had been out of work for a long time). I may have done a bit more ground work in the school if I a) had a school and b) the physio hadn't told me to get her hacking and not to school her :D
 
But lunging isn't always used to take the edge off? Sometimes as is my case it is used as a replacement to ridden work... Especially with Ben... To help him develop his topline, but also, it's used as a warm up... I agree if you use it all the time to take the edge off, it can just get horses fitter, but then sometimes it is a safety precaution and so if it is needed to be able to get on and ride the horse safely... Why not? I must admit, that my other rider went to ride Ben the other day and got the lunge equipment out as standard and said she always did it... Thus followed a conversation about this between herself and I... It's not my method, I do like to be able to just get on my horses, but I get why some people need to do this with some more feisty horses... It is a safety thing sometimes.
 
I quite like to lunge for ten mins or so either to take edge off or just to warm up and have a look at how the horse is going that day, good chance to see if anything doesn't look right, see improvements and sometimes do it to walk off after work too. Sounds like I lunge all the time, I don't really! Probably once a week!
 
Yup. I use to ride a mental mare for a friend. In winter they had no turnout so stabled 24/7 for a few months. Also schooled in the evening so made her extra spooky in floodlights and one end of the school was obv full of monsters.

However by lunge I do mean made to work in, not a wonder round on a lunge line. I found it got her warm, stretched and lose. I also lunged her in the scary end of the school. Only 5 mins on each rein and just walk and trot and on each rein she would have a buck and leap. Then I'd jump on and we would get straight into work.

I personnally don't think people at my stables warm their horses up correctly anymore. Straight into trot and before two circles their cantering around. I am old fashioned and like to walk my horses in and warm them up first, so lunging is just as easy for me.

I am also a very big lunge fan. I like to watch them move and get their bottoms working. Also for a young or horse coming back into work I think it's excellent to build up their strength before we add weight on their backs.

However not all horses require a lunge, I also like to use that edgy-ness and channel that energy into their work.

Each horse and rider know what works for them. But I don't think it makes anyone less of a rider if they lunge before they mount. We've all arrived at the stables and thought "hmmmm your a little fresh today and why are you walking on only two legs" - its knowing your horse and knowing when he needs to get it out his system.
 
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I have, once - ironically that day Dante decided to rear several times on the lunge which scared the hell out of me given that I was about to take him on a farm ride with other people :rolleyes: He then behaved, so I wish I hadn't lunged, and hadn't spent 30mins trying not to die in fear of what may happen :p
I've never lunged before schooling, as I believe that done on a regular basis, all you do is encourage the horse that it's allowed to lark about on the lunge, and get it fitter. I don't want to have to lunge every time I ride, so I wouldn't want to get the horse into the habit of being lunged every time I ride if possible :)
 
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