Lunging help please and a bit of a moan too!

[wattamus]

Warning! long post.

My horse is currently out of work and will probably be out of work permanently from now on. A friend at the yard has offered me the ride of her horse.
Josie is an absoloute saint for the most part which is good because im really confident on Ebony (and she isn't a saint), anything she would throw at me i could handle, but when riding other horses i am quite nervous.
Anyhow, Josie is really unfit and hasn't been ridden much over the past 6 months and so i am just doing some hacking and light schooling/ lungeing to get her going again.
When i was lungeing her tonight (first ever time) she went very happily around on one rein but just refused to go the other way, she was just literally turning on the forehand with every attempt i made to get her to go out, as this was one of the few things Ebony was good at i really don't know how to deal witth it.

Now, normally i'd ask someone at the yard but this one woman, whatever i do seems to disaproveand makes out that Josie is really easy and blah blah blah, which kind of makes me feel as big as a mouse. So i thought i'd come and ask you lovely people for help!
Well done if you got this far

 

[Tnavas]

On the problem rein treat her as if you were teaching her to lunge for the first time, get up close, lead her around and gradually let her out, keep the whip close to her quarters and move around in a circle with her.

Once you have her going forward well increase the distance between you and her. One of mine was like this and I ended up lunging him on two reins so that I could control the turn from the outside.

 

[Ani]

Hiya,
This is a common problem and basically you have to practice the art of quick reaction. Usually when lunging you stand facing the horses shoulder, with this problem you must never get infront of the shoulder and if you can position yourself further back all the better, then you need to make sure you stay back there and keep teh lunge whip following teh horses hockand ready t encourage it forward. Horses who do this know the split second you get even a milimeter infront of the shoulder so you have to be ready all the time to move and chase them forward. pursavere and the horse will get the message. don't worry if it doen't look pretty to begin with.

there is the rare occasion when the horse does not want to go on a specific rein due to discomfort but if they seem absolutely fine to ride on this rein. it is probably because they find this rein harder, so are trying to get out of working on it.

good look.

 

[icyfreya]

Myy boy will do this if he's not in the mood for work...I just make sure i have the lunge whip, and wave it/poke him with it until he moves out...if that failed (which it never has) i'd probably get a friend to lead him out to get him going

 

[Kelly 'O Gennaios']

Myy boy will do this if he's not in the mood for work...I just make sure i have the lunge whip, and wave it/poke him with it until he moves out...if that failed (which it never has) i'd probably get a friend to lead him out to get him going

i too do this with a horse i exercise at work, he was used to lunging on the left rein only and had got in a habit of this with the old trainer for at least 2 years but doing this with the whip a few times he realised 'oh that sticky thing pokes my nose when i try and swap reins, best stay on this one then' ha

 

[jhoward]

Think about it in a logical way, it is not natural for a horse to go incircles, the horses vison also plays a partif you was a prey animal chasing the horse and was in front of its eye line it would turn to face ready for an attack.

*disclaimer i am not a fluffy nh plank*

a whip is not always the answer, its more to do with your body language, you want the horse to go forwards, so you need to be in a postion to drive!

(this is the bit where we forget the BHS way of create a triangle, your feet should not take steps bla bla)

for every step the horse takes take a step to the side so towards the quarters of the rein you are on.. not inwards, easy mistake to make, but if needed go backwards out and to the side and keep driving, and remember to have your other hand (which should be the one the lunge rein in) down by your hip. the other arm/hand up even if it has a length of rein in, but use this to drive along with your voice.

start off with the aim of a few circuits then ask for stand and finish, dont be tempted to pull the horse in and if it turns in ask for walk for a few steps then halt.