Lunging guidance please.

[BeBopTalulah]

I've been lunging my 4 year old cob for about 2 weeks. She has done lunge work in the past, but she's just coming into work now to be broken. I myself am not new to lunging, but any horse I've lunged before has been experienced with it, and I've never had any problems. I would just like some advice/pointers to make sure we're both going in the right direction.

She's quite a sensible mare, we've had the odd 'fall out' or disagreement, but on the whole she's been great, very willing. She accepts all tack no problems, although we've only lunged in a cavesson. I wanted to get her going forward well without a bridle first.

Her vocal transitions from walk to trot and trot to walk are pretty good, but the halt is not so good. How can I improve this? Sometimes she'll cut across the circle, and tends to hang on the side the gate is on (lazy mare). I've tried using the whip to gently push her back over, but that just makes her rush as she thinks I want her going forward more.

I want to get this spot on before I go any further. Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Tnavas]

Go back to leading her from close beside her and practise the walk and halt. Once she has got the hang of that again start working her from further away.

Prepare for the cutting across in the same way you do when riding, Flick the lunge whip to touch just behind her elbow this hould take her back out again.

It doesn't matter if she goes on strongly when you do this - allow her to move on especially if she moved out on the track.

You need to work on one instruction at a time. Use the fact that she wants to slow at the gate to get the halt.

 

[Foxhunter49]

For the halting run her into the rail by moving parallel to her, ask her a few strides before the rail and if she doesn't stop head her to the rail and repeat the command.

For the cutting in you can put some rails down so he has to keep outside of them. Flick the whip at her and if she rushes don't worry about it but just tell her 'steady'
Young horses will try all sorts of things to start when being lunged and it is jut a matter of working through them.

 

[AengusOg]

It might be a good idea to teach her in-hand to yield her shoulder before you go flicking whips at her. She will so much better understand, and will not be so inclined to fall in. If she does try, you can just step in toward her shoulder and she will stay out.

When she has learned to yield her shoulder to your advance, you then only have to ask her to do that, then step away and back behind the 'drive line' and quietly send her quarters away, and she should go out on a circle.

Lots of horses learn to fall in on the longe because, when they do it for the first time, the handler steps back and allows it to happen. You need to take up the slack on the rope and step toward the horse, to prevent it becoming a habit.

 

[BeBopTalulah]

Thank you so much for all your advice. I've just come in from lunging her there, and she was really good tonight. When she drifted in I moved towards her and she moved out again. She also seemed to respond more to my 'woah' halt command. We'll keep going with it until she's perfect Then we'll try bridle/saddle without stirrups.

Thanks again guys.