Lunging my excitable mare

AshleighEmma

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Hi all. Looking for some lunging advice with my mare. She gets very over excited and will turn to face me and rear, box and bronk round on the lunge but it always seems to be in my direction so it’s quite un nerving! Does anyone have any tips how to keep her calm on the lunge? Doesn’t matter what speed she’s doing she erupts into sillyness. It’s probably just persistence to calm her down but it does make me a little nervous incase she does come at me! It’s definitely not malicious I feel like she’s playing with me but she’s a big mare to be playing! Thank you
 

Shay

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Lunging is actually quite an art. With behaviour like this it is usually better to get a good intructor on the ground to help you. It might be that she hasn't actually been taught to lunge - there is a strong school of thought that lunging is actually damaging to the horse. It might be that she has learned to behave this way because there was no-one to correct her effectively It might be she is actually responding to pain and trying to tell you that it hurts, or that it is too difficult for her. You might have your technique slightly off, or she might be better longlined. Whatever the cause if you persists in trying to lunge her you need professional help before there is an accident.
 

AshleighEmma

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Great advice thank you. To be honest there isn’t much purpose. Sometimes it’s just nice to have the option to lunge instead of ride to mix it up. But there isn’t any real need at all. I think a professional would be my best option if I wanted to lunge in future. Thank you
 

JillA

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It's never a wasted skill - who knows when you will need to keep fitness up without being able to ride. I don't know where you are but all the people on this list are very good https://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/recommended-trainers/

The trick with a horse like this is to remain as still and passive as you can, so she has nothing to object to, but if she does, be really quick on your feet to get to the area behind her girth/surcingle line and drive her forward strongly. It's timing and intent that make that possible so be careful about trying it on your own.
 

Goldenstar

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I start by keeping the horse close to me and asking it walk and halt from the voice .
I only do this after turnout or ridden work there’s no point otherwise .
I preserve until the horse works out that no matter what we are walking and halting I move with the horse round the school so we don’t go round and round in the same place .
Horses who have been trained that being idiot on the lunge is ok are a pain in the bum .
I accept that it may take considerable time to calm a horse who has got the wrong idea I have taken years over this .
I certainly don’t think six months in unusual but the horse understanding wants required is so useful in so many ways that I place great value on it .
In your shoes I would be doing a little every day at first .
 

HazuraJane

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All very good advice on here. The lunge line lends itself in some horses to releasing their 'sillies,' as the person on the other end of the lunge line, it's up to you to set the tone and slow it down.
 

jhoward

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Try long reining if you can( two reins) so can take more control of the outside rein so to speak, and keep the horses direction away from you ..again there's an art to it but if anything for now it's probably the safer option for you both
 

Goldenstar

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I would never ever use two lines with an excitable horse that’s bad mannered on the lunge it’s just to dangerous .
 
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jhoward

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How is it you have a lot more control than if you have something on one rein, I suppose at the end of the day it depends on the skills of the person working the horse.
 

Goldenstar

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Because if the horse is silly and say broncs you have that outside line just waiting to cause mayhem no one can control a horse using one two or six lunge lines .
A horse has to be trained whats needed and you don’t need two reins for that .Horses who have been allowed I would say trained to be mad on the lunge need to be trained that something different is required.
This requires going back to basics and just as you would not bung two lines on a three year old because it needs to taught the basics of moving round the trainer and calmness and the voice commands so it understands the process before you move on.
It’s much harder to get these basics in place when a horses has been allowed and in some cases encouraged to react in an unhelpful way on the lunge, but it’s worth doing and taking time to get it right .
 

jhoward

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Well actually i would long rein a 3year old on two reins it's far better to be able to use an outside rein to keep them on a circle, and to control pace etc, if it wants to go mad and have a buck and fart the outside rein can also be used to keep those flying back feet well away from one's head.
 

Goldenstar

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I train my horses to go round by following my body a outside line is not relevant for that .
If the horse falls out I adjust my body position if it comes in I just push it away using my body .
This what’s so good about lunging the horse learns to focus on the trainer who be the rider not on stuff hanging off him
 
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