Lunging help!

[lauren_237]

Hello!

We've recently bought a horse who is living at home with us. We're in the process of getting a saddle sorted for him but in the mean time we're thinking of lunging him to keep him exercised and in preparation for us riding him....I was just wondering what equipment is essential for us to have to allow us to lunge him correctly?

Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[cokelly]

A cavesson headcollar and long line are pretty much the basics! You may find a lunge whip and pair of gloves useful too

Happy lunging!

 

[RubysGold]

Lunge line and lunge whip are essential.
Different people lunge with different things, you can use a headcollar alone, some people use a cavesson alone, some put a cavesson under a bridle, and others use bridle alone.
Some don't put anything on the horses back, some use a roller and numnah and others use saddle and numnah.
And then if you want to use side reins or another gadget its up to you.
So in short you don't need much to lunge him as long as you have a lunge line and whip, the rest is up to you.

 

[lauren_237]

That's great, thank you both!

 

[Chico Mio]

Oh, a horse that will actually longe is good too

One of mine is a dream and the other is a complete nightmare on a long line.

I would advise: long line, whip with stock no longer than you are tall or it's quite easy to trip over, pair of gloves. As said before, you can use cavesson, headcollar or bridle for just simple longeing.

I expect we should say wear your hat as well, especially if you haven't longed him before.

 

[kellyeaton]

lunge cavesson lunge line and whip. I use a roller and lungie bungie as well!

 

[Gooby]

I use bridle, lunge line and gloves. I don't use a lunge whip as it freaks my horse out and he work perfectly well with just my voice and throwing the excess line out behind him when he is getting lazy, you'll find out what your horse prefers when you start to work it. Gloves are ESSENTIAL!!! The number of times one of my horses has decided to have a "play" on the lunge and its been pulled out of my hands leaving me with just the end handle part! If I hadn't of had gloves on I would have had burns all over my hands.

 

[Sol]

A helper might also be useful

If you don't know if he's been lunged before, then he might initially wonder what to do and just turn in and look at you! So helper can help by walking on the outside of him on a circle until he gets the idea

Helper will probably also want hat & gloves.

 

[lauren_237]

Thanks everyone, been really useful! I've been out and bought a cavesson, lunge line and whip to start off with, so will give it a go with him tomoro!! Fingers crossed!!