Lunging help

J

joop

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I posted a while ago about my difficult to lead id x tb. I can now lead her in a bridle with a straight flexi-mouth bit. Up until today I had not lost her in this. I tried to lunge her today (she is five and unbroken at present - hence the lunging) and she turns her neck away from me and pulls and I have to let go. Also when I lead her although I havent lost her it is a constant battle. She looks the other way and pulls all the time. I dont understand I keep the pressure on the bit until she comes back and then I realease it immeadiatly when she comes back to me - therfore by giving her a reward when she does right. She generally licks and chews as soon as she comes back. But she continues to test and pull me all over the place. Any clues as to what to do? I am at the end of my tether. She is taking the p*ss because she knows she is stronger. Thanks in advance.
 
I would get yourself a chifney and lead her in that. She cannot be allowed to get away with pulling you about like this. She still has growing to do and strength to gain so you need to knock this on the head now.
 
But I cant lunge her in a chifney can I? I can lead her i her bridle and hold her I cant lunge her and hold her.
 
Nope, dont use the chiffney for lunging. Igot the impression that she can still be a bit bolshy in the bridle when you lead her hence the suggestion. I think until you have the leading sorted the lunging will remain a problem.

When you lunge can you have someone in with you to walk on her outside? If not you need to be very quick to stop her as she goes to pull away and Iwould suggest staying in walk if you can until she really gets the message.
 
You need to get her to listen to you more in ALL situations - it sounds as if you are battling with her a bit & you need to sharpen her up to you - I would give her a firm growl & a yank when she turns away from you - I'm a little hesitant to say that to someone unknown to me with a horse unknown to me, so hope you understand what I mean by a yank - i.e. respecting the fact you're pulling on her face/mouth/teeth. If she doesn't respond to that, rather than do it harder (& risk damaging her), I'd use a bony old knuckle & bury hard & deeply into her neck near the shoulder - like a real 'oi you' prod. If even that doesn't work, I'd carry a short stick (or a show cane & prod her with that). She needs to jolly well respect you.

Re the lunging (as Spans says, after you've sorted out the respect when leading), try using a side rein slightly too short on the inside only - or better still, try long reining.
 
My two youngsters do the same, however I'vegot the better of them. When lungeing my big cob will pull to try to run to the side of the menage as she get comfort from the corner as she doesn't feel vulnerable. But, I sometimes have to let go when she sets her head. But I suggest try and predict when she's going to pull against you and pull her quickly around even before she thinks about it. Once she's going well again, relax. Soon - hopefully she will go round well rather than pulling at you.
My other cob when leading sometimes bends her head away and tanks because she knows she's stronger, at first I thought it was babyness, but when she kept doing it I knew she was then taking the p**s, so I did lead her in her bridle [ with pelham] for a while, now I've gone back to headcollar, and I sometimes just hold the side of it which gives you teh advantage of pulling the entire head around rather than pulling down on their nose which they will then pull against. Or i clip the leadrope onto the side ring of her headcollar and then she leads fine.

Hope I've helped - probably not but oh well!!

Kat xxx
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I've had similar problems both leading and lungeing but with different horses. I agree for lungeing either two lunge lines but is tricky so the inside side rein slightly shorter gives you an advantage. For both leading and lungeing I'd say groundwork is very important. I've used a chifney for one horse that napped and reared whilst being led. The other horse that used to set her neck and push her shoulder out I found the Dually halter (used correctly) worked well and you can also use this for lungeing, long reining and even riding. If you were to get one you could PM me and I could lend you the DVD that goes with it. Good luck!
 
do you lunge with two reins or one and also using a pessoa training aid would help. check out www.equicare.co.uk bought one a few months back and really helped me with my boys outline and also stopped her from turingin in
 
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