Lunging from the bit

[alfielola05]

i more often that not, lunge my mare for five/ten minutes before riding, to loosen her up and get rid of excess bucks and energy before getting on. I lunge her with the rope clipped to the opposite bit ring, she has recently however started leaning rather heavily on my outside hand whist riding and whilst lunging her the tension on the rope has increased. Do you think i am causing her damage by lunging her this way, I will invest in a cavesson as soon as I can afford it. in the mean time however do you think i should stop lunging her in this manner? any one have any thoughts on lunging from the bit, is there a better method perhaps?

 

[Eriskayowner]

I have always lunged in a bridle with the lunge line threaded through the near side bit ring, over the headpiece and clipped to the bit ring on the off side.

I hate cavessons with a passion. Find them much too heavy on the nose.

 

[alfielola05]

I have always lunged in a bridle with the lunge line threaded through the near side bit ring, over the headpiece and clipped to the bit ring on the off side.

I hate cavessons with a passion. Find them much too heavy on the nose.

thank you, i will give that a go and see if it makes a difference

 

[lelly]

Hi , my own personal opinion on this is I would never lunge from the bit. It puts pressure in all the wrong places. If you can't manage to buy a lunge cavesson yet I would just put the headcollar on and lunge from that. Thats providing you will still have controll. I am sure you will get different opinions on this site though.

 

[LouS]

I'd just lunge in a headcollar, although mine are very light in the hand so I have no problems lunging off the bit/noseband as they will not pull or lean.

 

[alfielola05]

Hi , my own personal opinion on this is I would never lunge from the bit. It puts pressure in all the wrong places. If you can't manage to buy a lunge cavesson yet I would just put the headcollar on and lunge from that. Thats providing you will still have controll. I am sure you will get different opinions on this site though.

thanks, this is what i am concerned about, putting pressure in the wrong places, she is a sensitive little thing. Im sure i would have control with a head collar so will see how that goes!

 

[wildwoman666]

I lunge in a bitless. If i just had head coller she will take me for spin and in bridle i dont wanna be pulling at her mouth or letting her lean on it.

 

[Spotsrock]

If I lunge in head collar boy does a runner. Plus i'm lunging him to re start him so has to be in tack or what's the point. I'd stick with bridle but put lunge line over head how someone else described

 

[DosyMare]

I have always lunged in a bridle with the lunge line threaded through the near side bit ring, over the headpiece and clipped to the bit ring on the off side.

I hate cavessons with a passion. Find them much too heavy on the nose.

Agreed. I never lunge off the bit and I find cavessons are rubbish.

 

[abercrombie&titch]

I use a newmarket coupling to lunge with....

 

[PolarSkye]

Another one who hates cavessons - Kal hates them too - can't say I blame him - all that haberdashery hanging off his nose!

I lunge Kali in a bridle . . . I either thread the lunge line through the nearside bit ring, under his chin and attach to offside bit ring . . . or I thread it up and over his poll.

I'm confused, though, by the idea that a horse could learn to "hang" when lunged this way? When I lunge Kal the lunge line is never taut . . . it's just an aid like a soft rein aid to keep him moving around me rather than disappearing up the school to stand in the corner and stick his tongue out at me (I walk alot when I lunge so he's never just doing a prescribed circle around me). There is always a loop in the lunge line when I lunge him . . . so I don't see how that could teach him to "hang" . . . ?

That said, Kali is a "hugger" when lunged so I have spent way more time getting him to move away from me than holding the lunge line to keep him IN (if that makes sense).

The only time the lunge line goes taut is if, in the past, he hasn't listened to a command to make a downwards transition, I have made a half halt with the lunge line to reinforce my voice and body position - it's a check/release aid rather than a "pull."

I hope what I wrote above makes sense . . . I'm on my second large glass of wine .

P

 

[PerlinoPlank]

I don't think lunging from a bridle/bit/headcollar is very useful at all (having said that I am a hypocrite and do do it sometimes). Lunging with two lungelines, one each side of their head and the outside one around thier bums is so much more benefical for them.

 

[DosyMare]

I don't think lunging from a bridle/bit/headcollar is very useful at all (having said that I am a hypocrite and do do it sometimes). Lunging with two lungelines, one each side of their head and the outside one around thier bums is so much more benefical for them.

Even lunging with two rein they need to connect to the head in one way or another.
I do think this is also the best way to lunge.

However in this case that is just to stretch the horse out and get rid of any extra energy before you get on - I would run the line over the poll. I take it you don't use any side reins or chambon when you lunge?

 

[PerlinoPlank]

My description is rubbish, this is what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBWkTOiKSJw
(lunging starts at 1min 30secs)