Lunging problems, help!

tabithakat64

tabithakat64

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Have been lunging a friends horse and am having real problems with it, I use two reins to lunge as the horse tries to turn in, walk is fine but encouraging the horse to trot exhausts me, he is just so stubborn, I use my voice and back it up with strong body language but it is still a battle of wills, any ideas what I'm doing wrong?
I'm keeping the circles large as he is not very well balanced and I know he understands what trot means as he responds to it when long reined in the school or ridden. He also starts spooking at the sand and running backwards when he's in a particularly unco-operative mood
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Any advice would be much appreciated as I'm becoming increasingly frustrated.
 
Sounds like a real challenge to patience and all!

Have you tried the painstaking.... get an extra body to go round (knackering!) in circles with him for a bit?

If he takes a passenger, that may help.

Touch the whip on him, quite sharply? I guess you did that already, and I suppose he turns in quite forcefully when you do that.

Is there anybody who you know or your friend could pay, to pop him on a horse walker just to see whether that would ingrain some circling in him, pref at trot?
 
also, are you putting side reins on him? Perhaps if so, you could try him without to begin with and then you'll at least know whether that is what stops him?

If it stops him then it could be teeth, or neck/back pain due to bend?

if all that is clear then I guess you'll need to get after him quite forefully, with the sidereins on, or it'll be the worst for him, he has to work or nobody will think he's up to much, bless him!
 
I have tried using someone to lead him around he still wont trot, although he is fine in hand.
I do flick him with the whip, but it doesn't help, not sure if a horse walker would work as he knows he is meant to be going around in circles, I feel he is just trying it on!
I warm up without sidereins then have them on so this nose is just in front of the veritical as he is relatively unschooled.
What I really need is a way I can force him to obey me as he is just being naughty but how do you get a horse to trot on the lunge when it really doesn't want too?
BTW his teeth, back, tack & general health have been checked out.
 
Was going to suggest taking side reins off as my youngster is alot slower with them on cause she fights them.

My older pony is hard to lunge but i got a whip that makes a good noise and kept flicking it at her, she got better with practice!!! Good luck!
 
a big stick up his bum
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on a more helpful note you could try side reins but with the inside one up between his legs and the outside one from girth to bit - and not to slack - if they are flapping bout they might aswell not be there
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then just use one line and keep it shorter - walk a bigger circle yourself and really get after him with the stick (aimed at his shoulder not his bum) - they cant turn in if they are moving forwards properly.

at-least - thats what worked for my girl and she used to be a toad for stopping and turning in.
 
a big big stick then
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TBH i had to actually touch 'lee with the end of the whip a number of times before she realised that i meant business - in the same way that when i pick up a schooling whip if she isnt moving forwards she gets quite a bit more than a tickle

most of the horses i ride just take the pee out of anyone who carries one but doesnt use it - they plink about not moving forward at all.

i dont carry it for show - after one big smack they know to go go forwards - little 'tickles' just say 'please go forwards, but if you dont i wont follow through'
i work on.. 'got off my leg....go off my leg please.......SMACK' principle - and i have found the same can apply when lunging

it might not be PC but it has worked on the numerious horses i have worked with and generally creates a horse who is a pleasure to lunge and responds to the lightest commands


*waits to be shot down in flames*
 
have you tried starting off long reining, so you are behind him, and sending him forward with the whip in no uncertain terms, and then moving round to lungeing position?
I would certainly show him how the whip works, otherwise he's not going to bother, is he? Obviously very laid back!
 
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