Lunging in canter

Chianti

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Am I the only person who doesn't ask for canter on the lunge? I've never been keen in making them canter on what's a fairly small circle for them as I think it put too much strain on the joints. I also read in an article on thermo imaging (?) that the muscles have to work harder in trot than canter so presumed that trotting got them fitter than canter.

However, pony is putting on weight - due to his sharer who's supposed to do all the energetic work being missing in action for a lot of the summer - and I've been advised by someone on the yard that canter on the lunge would get the weigh off him.

So - am I being a soft mummy and should I stop worrying and just get on with it?
 

Leandy

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All things in moderation is my view so I see no harm in moderate cantering on the lunge, as part of a varied work pattern. I would doubt though that cantering as compared to trotting will have much impact on weight loss, so if you aren't happy don't do it. Reducing feed will have more impact on weight.
 

Chianti

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Lunge with two reins and move around the entire arena in canter. Problem solved.

I've just started using two reins and it's a bit of a work in progress. I discovered today that it was easier if I had the lines loose rather than having them curled round. Saw this way being used on YouTube and it meant I felt I could manage the lines easier.
 

Chianti

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All things in moderation is my view so I see no harm in moderate cantering on the lunge, as part of a varied work pattern. I would doubt though that cantering as compared to trotting will have much impact on weight loss, so if you aren't happy don't do it. Reducing feed will have more impact on weight.

On a balancer and very low calorie chaff so can't really reduce it.
 

be positive

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Canter does get the heart rate up so if you can do short bursts it should help. A bit like interval training.

It should help get weight off more than trotting but ideally move around the arena so there is less strain on the joints, lots of canter trot canter transitions are useful so you keep the cantering to a minimum but still get the heart rate up.
 

SEL

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I run with my horse! She needs to get her weight down & is only just coming back into ridden work.

Although i nearly faceplanted yesterday - rabbits been digging the arena up.
 

Leo Walker

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All things in moderation is my view so I see no harm in moderate cantering on the lunge, as part of a varied work pattern. I would doubt though that cantering as compared to trotting will have much impact on weight loss, so if you aren't happy don't do it. Reducing feed will have more impact on weight.

For mine she can trot for miles and miles in the carriage and it makes no difference. What gets weight off is canter work. Not endless charging round, but interval training in the carriage and cantering on the lunge. She has unbelievable abdominal muscles for a small chubby pony cob!
 

littleshetland

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I always lunge in an arena and use the whole thing - I just keep moving up and down with them, and if you get a wiggle on can canter up the whole of the long side. I remember years ago seeing an Emile Faurie demo....he said he never uses endless circles for lunging (although some obviously) and always goes 'large' with them. It's an extremely good work out for humans too...!
 

Red-1

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It depends on how the horse canters. Racing round, bending to the outside whilst leaning inwards is damaging IMO. Cantering in rhythm, correct bend round the circle and correctly placing the hind leg under with a rounded top line (not just neck!) is not harmful at all as long as done in moderation.

I also use the whole arena, so do a circle at one end, then go large, circle when I am all longs stride walked out, rebalance, catch my breath then go large again. I also do frequent rein changes, which are easy on 2 reins.
 

ecb89

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I lunge in canter. As others have said, I run up and down the long side so not constantly on a small circle. I’ve got a massive striding ID, so I really have to run :D
 

SEL

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As said above, use the whole school.

I lunge elliptically (spellchecker says that isn't a word), so the horse gets the full long side. It used to get the weight of me quite well... :cool::oops:

It's a great human workout! When our arena was out of action I lunged in the field with a very long 'long side' & it really made both of us shift.

I also lunged in a field with a few little hills in which got the fat Appy really using her back and. I could feel my thigh muscles for days.

No need for a gym membership.
 

Carrottom

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I'm very impressed with you guys who can run whilst lungeing, I'm sure I'd end up face planted if I couldn't watch where my feet were going .🥴
 

Wheels

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Lol if you keep the lunge line nice and long then you really have to just walk up and down the centre line for 20m or so and the horse does the rest

Of course it's much more fun to do lots of different shapes and many changes of rein on the move rather than an oval but if it's just for horse fitness that would do
 

Chianti

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even just with 1 rein you can make much larger shapes by walking quickly yourself. once you get the knack you will find it easy. i rarely lunged in circles and preferred to move around the school and it also is kinder on the school surface

I do move around the school in walk and trot as I hate him just going around in the same circle all the time. I'll have to try it in canter.
 

gunnergundog

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if i can do it at age 70 with replacement hips and arthritis i am sure you can as well, :):)

Ditto! :D Well, at least for the age and arthritis! No replacement hips - yet - think it will be the knee that requires replacing first, but I may be wrong.

We have a 65x25 arena. I use an extra long lunge line and lunge off a serrata for extra control....although no extra gadgets. We can do circles, straight lines, sausage shapes etc etc. All I need to do is take extra long strides to keep up...we are talking 16/2hh IDxTB hunter.
 

Chianti

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Does he actually need the feed if not in work?..
He is in work. He does something seven days a week in our quest to keep the weight off. The advice was around increasing the intensity of what he's doing. This is hard for me when I ride as I have a rotten back and if I try to do too much I end up not being able to ride at all. The sharer is meant to do the exciting stuff - harder schooling, hacking and jumping but has missed quite a few days over the summer which hasn't helped. He has Top Spec Lite balancer and a small amount of chaff that's just hay and oat straw. Grazing is on minimal grass with hay twice a day.
 
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