Lunging my crazy boy! Help!

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Racing_Gal

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Jack has allot of energy...I've been lunging him before I get on him to jump or school as it seems to help chill him out and I get more sense out of him once I on him.

I always have trouble with the downwards transitions (on the lunge) mainly trot to walk but sometimes canter to trot as well. He just won't go down a pace unless I pull on the rope then he just keeps going but on a smaller circle, I just stand there going 'and walk, whoa jack, and walk, and jack walk...' I sound like a right muppet!! He just thinks its play time! How can I solve this???
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I try to do it with my voice and body position.

When they are going round in the pace you want, have your body directly facing them as they go round, in the dominant position. So that you are the biggest you can possibly be.

When you ask for the change down, turn sideways on and bow your head slightly as you do it, this makes you less dominant and they will go down a pace to come in to you (without breaking off the circle though).

I can tell with mine when he is ready to listen as one of his ears will be pointing towards me - before then, I just let him do what he wants (generally trotting round me fast!!!) until he has calmed himself down.

Hope that helps, it can take a while for them to do it, but will eventually work without you saying anything
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I have this problem with Buddy sometimes it the excitement with him though he does usually calm down and listen to me. If he is really excited then i let him get the energy out of him by having a mad canter around for until he comes back to walk and then he is usually more calm.

Ive got it working with Buddy that when he is in trot i shout steady to him and then walk and he usually comes straight back to walk. If he is still very excited i do sometimes have to put the whip down and stand very still and keep telling him to walk.

Because of a few mad boltings aswell i do some leading work with Buddy before i start lunging him. Just leading him around the school asking him to stand, back up and move over. He has been a lot better since doing this because he is learning to listen to me a lot more. Before this he use to just pull me as soon as in school and start cantering in circles. I dont know if will work or not but could always try it.
 
Thanks! Ill try both of your ideas, I think Jack thinks lunging is a game! He makes me laugh because of the way he acts, he looks like he's having so much fun, he'l just randomly throw himself in the air his legs swing about in different directions then he'l stop and have to look around to get his bearings, like he's made himself dizy! It's starting to bug me now though cos I want him to do some proper work to get ready for the indoor season
 
I don't lunge my horse in continuous circles but always move with him to cover a larger area of the school - he is very good with canter to trot but trot to walk is a nightmare sometimes.

I usually pop him on to small circles and he'll come back or I really push him on in trot and really make him work so that when I do ask for walk again he's quicker to come back to me!
 
Our TB is like this too. Lunged her for the first time in 10 days last night and she looked like a rodeo horse, however once she'd got it out of her system she worked nicely. Most of the time she works from voice alone but you should back this up with body language. Make your body the right angle of a right angled triangle instead of the equilateral triangle used for forward motion, i.e, move closer to his head. For a more exreme reaction you could try flicking the lunge whip in front of him instead of behind! Not sure if I've made myself very clear, if not just ask again and I'll try to make it clearer.
 
[quote try flicking the lunge whip in front of him instead of behind!

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I've tried this, it just made him freak out, he's a total whimp and I think it was just to much for him to handle!

It sounds like I need to work on my body language, I'll give it a go tonight, thanks for all your help!
 
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