Lunging Ideas

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hotdog

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Hi I'm after a few ideas I could use while lunging tonight to keep my sessions varied.

This is what I normally do.

10min warm up (5mins each rein, walk, trot and canter) then I put the pessoa on him and do five mins each rein mainly trot with a little walk and mabe a little canter) then I do another 5mins each rein where I just do transitions in quite quick sucession. Then I'll let him walk it out for five mins

So total sesssion is about 35mins with only 20mins on the pessoa.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I could do to change this session around a bit to make it interesting for him?

Any ideas greatly received
 
Long line instead, much more flexible and better on their legs. Anything you can go ridden you can do on the long lines.

Otherwise, how about some poles? gets them really thinking about their feet. Or maybe some bombproofing and going over tarp/other scary things.
 
35mins lunging with a full 20min in the pessoa is a long time, not just physcially, but mentally. Don't know about you but I get bored, never mind the horse!

It's pretty much exactly what I do, but longer. I lunge a couple of times around in walk on both reins, then about 10 laps on each rein walk trot transtions. Then it's a quick canter on both reins before the pessoa for about 5mins (about 15laps) on each rein in walk and trot, before taking it off to cool down. I don't lunger for more than 20mins at a time - probably about 50 laps altogether on each rein. I use a long rope (8 metres, so it's a big circle).

Other things I do is spiralling inwards then back out again , making sure they keep rhythem and impulsion.

Once I've lunged I usually long rein for 10mins. The work make better in long reins generally. I do pretty much everything I would do ridden on long reins - cirlcing, turning, 'leg' yeilding, both walk and trot.
 
Ok time for the dumb questions now! (I haven't long reined before)

I know Long reining is having two reins and walking behind the horse but how does the rest work? ie when the horse trots do you have to run behind to keep up and how do you do yeilding when long reining?
 
I use the whole school, circles of varying sizes, spiralling - extending down the long side. I also use two reins so I can change the rein without stopping and also do a mixture of long reining and lunging.

I do this once or twice a week for my two four year olds for between 15 - 25 minutes.

I also loose school - and am working on having them loose school together trotting side by side which is coming along.

Finally, from time to time I put in poles and small jumps, though I don't do so as much as I used to as I am now riding and he is not getting bored.
 
Long lining is easy but takes a bit of practise. Once you're good, there is SOOO much more you can do.

You need two luge ropes (slightly shorter ones are easier to start with. They both runs from your hand, through roller d-rings (either at their side, or higher up near their withers - horses is easier to control with them a bit lower, but harder to manage the lines without them going loopy) and to the bit. The outside one will run over their hocks when one a circlce around you.

When on a cirlce you can either stand in the same position as lunging, or you cam stand a bit more behind them. Changing the reins is fairly easy and should require no rearrange ment of the lines. If you're really good you can even do it in canter.

You can also run behind them like you're 'driving'. Always stay out of kicking range but otherwise the distance just depends of how good you are with the lines and not letting them droop. If you're feeling energetic you can run behind in trot or even canter if you wanted too.

You can do anything you want with longlines and with a bit of practise you can do figures of 8 and such, or even piroet. You will have to move much more than you do lunging, but it's good exercise
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Try it. If he's used to the pessoa he should be fine with something touching his back legs. You will find he works in a much better outline in longlines too. Every horse I've ever longlined has worked in an outline in walk and often trot, even if they never do under saddle.
 
Kallibar's suggestion is only one way of doing it. I have a fantastic short intro to longlineing but i can't remember the name and its in Devon...

Anyway, I prefer what is often called the "dutch method" where the reins run through a terret or roller over the back. I like it because you I don't like the thought of the horse being jabbed in the mouth them you ask them to lengthen their frame. Thats not a jab at people but i don't belive i have quick enough reactions plus I started with reins over the back anyway.

As for positioning circles its the same as lunging, or you can walk/run behind. Usful if your good with the reins in one hand as you can then touch with the whip to add a bit more finesse if needed.

Hope that helps
 
Put some poles out at canter distance (3 strides) and get him to walk trot and canter over them on each rein and then raise them so that they are raised poles to get him thinking about his feet. The poles will also get him streching down long and low and working over his back.
My advice for the long reining is that if you don't know how to do it, get someone to show you. It is a very useful tool if you know how to do it. You can do just about anything on the long reins.
 
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