Lunging help?

[Tonto_]

I'm going to get my instructor to come and give me some lunging lessons but wondered if anyone could help until then.

I've started lunging a new horse for someone to get her a bit fitter and keep her brain a bit busy as otherwise she's a field ornament. She's not been worked in 2 years so just walking at the moment and refreshing walk and halt commands BUT I can not get her to move away from me on the circle, she'll walk just at the end of the whip. If I walk towards her she just carries on where she was going until I actually walk into her!

How do I get her to move out?

 

[be positive]

Long reining would be more appropriate for a horse that has been out of work for 2 years, straight lines rather than circles will do more good and be more interesting than walking in circles, it will stop her coming into you and if you pop in a few circles as you go she will probably improve over the next few sessions, many will fall in until they are really moving forward in trot so I would not be too bothered and just get on with long reins.

 

[Tonto_]

Long reining would be more appropriate for a horse that has been out of work for 2 years, straight lines rather than circles will do more good and be more interesting than walking in circles, it will stop her coming into you and if you pop in a few circles as you go she will probably improve over the next few sessions, many will fall in until they are really moving forward in trot so I would not be too bothered and just get on with long reins.

I would long rein ideally but she doesn't like things around her back legs and doubt she's ever done it before! I might see if a Friend can come up to the yard to help and stand at her head while I try long reining in case she does freak and it all goes wrong...

With lunging I was trying to use the whole of the school and not just circle but can't get her to move away from me doing that either!

 

[Tiddlypom]

As she’s had two years off, you don’t want to be lunging her properly yet. If she might panic on the long lines, just keep on the walking around the perimeter of the arena. It’ll keep you fit too! I walk my creaky mare in the arena around the arena perimeter on non riding days, she does 30 mins, with a change of rein every 5 mins. It keeps her ticking over. No training aids apart from occasional use of the Equicore, which she is wearing in the pic, and sometimes poles.

Like this, though in your case you could walk more closely to the horse.

 

[Tonto_]

As she’s had two years off, you don’t want to be lunging her properly yet. If she might panic on the long lines, just keep on the walking around the perimeter of the arena. It’ll keep you fit too! I walk my creaky mare in the arena around the arena perimeter on non riding days, she does 30 mins, with a change of rein every 5 mins. It keeps her ticking over. No training aids apart from occasional use of the Equicore, which she is wearing in the pic, and sometimes poles.

Like this, though in your case you could walk more closely to the horse.

View attachment 38464

This is what I'm trying to do but I just end up leading her in hand normally. She's only in a head collar as I didn't want to reintroduce stuff too quickly and she's literally doing 5 mins a few times a week.

Lone reining she's not likely to freak out and try and run but kick out so as long as she's going forwards and I'm not too close behind that shouldn't be an issue

 

[Palindrome]

Take her down the long side in the school, use the whip on her shoulder (touching her shoulder a bit if she tries to come in, you can flick the whip a bit if she ignores the touching but be careful not to catch her on the headcollar if she shouts forward) to tell her to stay on the long side while you get farther and farther from her. They normally get the idea pretty quick. Start with a small distance and you can increase it next time you lunge. Once you arrive at the end of the long side, ask for a circle or half a circle and go on the next long side.

I would lunge first and then introduce the long reining by lunging on the inside rein and getting the horse used to the outside rein on her back, bum and around her hindlegs (and also trailing behind on the ground as that can happen if you let go of the reins).