Lunging issues

[stangs]

Mare has made her opinions very clear about lunging, but unfortunately it has to be done. She was lunged in an old home, so she knows what she's doing but, from the sounds of it, she's been soured.

What she does is either stick by owner from the get-go, or, if someone leads her for a few rounds, turn back to owner the minute they go away. She's also very desensitised to the whip. You can crack it, you can tap her hind with it: she won't go any faster than a walk. If you try use the whip to keep her shoulder out, she stands, same if you try send her away with the excess of the lunge line.

Lunging is usually attempted with a single line. An experiment with double lining proved futile, as horse didn't respond to cues, and seemed to think any faffing with the lines was to be ignored. My first thought was R+ but that's not an option with this horse, currently. Owner lives in a non-horsey country so hasn't been able to find a professional to help.

WWYD?

 

[bonny]

Why does she have to lunge ?

 

[JBM]

You could try free lunging in an arena
It’s better for the joints and might be more interesting for your horse

 

[sbloom]

It would be useful to know what lunging is required for, and why other exercise may be contraindicated. The more I do my job the more I believe that horses aren't awkward, they're always trying to tell us something, and until you work that out you're likely just overriding that and making her have to put up/shut up.

 

[stangs]

Present owner inherited horse and horse has come to owner utterly, hideously and dangerously obese.

She’s unrideable due to behavioural issues, and owner is a novice who isn’t confident enough to try work through them. Hacking isn’t currently an option due to location. Currently, horse is mostly getting stabled, and spends some time on a tether in the sandy area where she gets lunged. She can’t spend more time there as other livestock, who don’t like her, use it. The only field is small and very lush. The sandy area isn’t fenced, so she can’t free school. There’s no chance of making changes to the facilities anytime soon due to problems between owner and her family who own the property.

Owner takes her for walks around the property a few times a day, which she tries to make interesting (things like circling around motorbikes, saying hello to the goats, etc) but property is small so walks are short and repetitive and she’s yet to get the horse out of trot. Horse is happy to walk behind her, but as soon as owner tries to walk a little faster or jog, she resists or halts.

Owner is in SE Asia, and I’m in the UK, so I can’t help on the ground. We’ve discussed the issue at length, and lunging is the only solution we’ve come up with for trying to get her out of walk to get her heart going. Well, that or trying to sit on her again so she’ll start rearing (joke).

There’s plenty of reasons for why she doesn’t want to be lunged. She is obese which makes any exercise difficult, she’s been lunged before high stress situations which she probably associates lunging with, and she’s shut down from her past life. She may very well have a pain-related issue. And, yes, we are trying to make her shut up and put up with it. I won’t deny that. Owner is experimenting with various enrichment ideas for her mental welfare, but her physical welfare remains a serious concern. Lunging appears to be the solution currently, with considerations being made as to PTS if she’s so uncomfortable she can’t even manage that.

 

[sbloom]

Horses need to be comfortable before they can work correctly on circles, if you're really good on the ground then you can facilitate the horse to work well eg Manolo Mendez, but I think my oft-recommended programme, Balance Through Movement Method, would be a really good idea. Making a horse put up and shut up will never end well. This work will help reveal what the issue is, so many issues can be improved by the rider even if there is little local hands on training help.

The rider could do with some help herself with confidence, breathing techniques too I suspect. Here's the lady who designed the BTMM I mention above, she talks about breathing - https://podtail.com/podcast/equestr...ywork-breathwork-and-mirroring-with-celeste-/

I would muzzle and/or strip graze, and if she can get them sent out, look at some of the supplements for lammi horses (specialist, not big brands, eg Forageplus) which can help on the margins with metabolism.

 

[milliepops]

Taking it all at face value and assuming horse has to be exercises as a last chance saloon thing... if the horse has been ridden previously, and therefore understands a bit about contact, i would start with long reining close to the horse, as in walking alongside the horse level with the girth area but controlling with the reins. and gradually work on stepping a bit further away or back, until horse is comfortable moving around with the handler at a greater distance. this should then translate to long reining on a circle.

One of mine arrived the size of a house and unable to understand lunging, she pulled away one one rein and came to meet me on another, and this is how i taught her. You could now teach students to lunge with her now, she is super.

 

[ponynutz]

Agree with the above - find the root of the problem.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

This will be a pain issue, betcha. Here (UK) I'd say get vet, physio, saddle-fitter & dentist in - but I see we are talking about a location in SE Asia here. And a novice owner. Oh dear.

Wish I knew what to suggest, but frankly I don't.

Well done OP for trying to help, this must be hugely frustrating if this is your Friend.

 

[stangs]

Thanks milliepops. I suspect we'll have issues with bits, given her prior tack, but fingers crossed she'll settle with something soft.

Agree with the above - find the root of the problem.

Easier said than done when you have no access to a specialised vet, and the horse is sound and stepping through at walk.

Well done OP for trying to help, this must be hugely frustrating if this is your Friend.

Worse for my friend I think, being stuck in the situation she's in. Lots of family politics is making everything unpleasant, and of course having to see an unhappy horse every day and being limited in how she can help.

 

[Arzada]

What experience does the owner have lunging horses? Why is she staying where there are problems and not moving to a new yard? What equine company does the mare have?

 

[canteron]

An expensive way (but cheaper than random gadgets) is to look up the lunging module by Jenku online. It is actually rather clever and you can soon be lunging your horse without lunge lines if you follow it through. As it uses treats initially, it tends to motivated even unwilling candidates!!

I have done this and has a horse who now rather impressively lunges long and low!!

 

[Miss_Millie]

Are in hand walks a possible solution? Depending on the terrain, lots of hill work would be beneficial. I agree that there may be an underlying pain issue, however, the horse may also just be incredibly shut down. I have seen horses completely ignore pressure because it has been used heavy-handedly in their training. Sadly, I don't think there is a quick fix for this horse. I sympathise with your friend and hope she can find a solution.

 

[nutjob]

Depending on where your friend is there are people about in SE asia who know what they are doing and are also familiar with the typical issues of the area. Most countries have some riding schools, racing stables, polo clubs, riding clubs and competitive show jumpers. Malaysia and Singapore definitely have a reasonable level of equestrian activities going on, but it's at specific centres rather than with freelance trainers. It might be worth approaching somewhere like this to see if anyone would help, even if they don't advertise their services and also find out what they do for veterinary issues etc. It's unusual to see horses turned out in anything like a field in this region, the local grass can be very high in sugar and low in nutrients so people who take horses seriously import hay and feed specific supplements. Your friend would definitely benefit from getting in touch with other people locally to address the diet of the horse in addition to exercise.