Lunging - stretching down.

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Loubiepoo

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How do you encourage your horse to stretch down and work over his back on the lunge?

I've tried my horse in a Pessoa a few times but the rope behind his backside just sent him bucking and bouncing round!

At the moment I lunge him in elasticated side reins to encourage working into a contact, but during warm up and warm down (without side reins on) he's still reluctant to stretch down.

Any advice please?
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My horse will naturally stretch down on the lunge, and will when ridden but he finds it hard to stretch out over his back and accept a contact happily when a contact s taken up.

I got him to start to stretch down on the lunge with a chambon. He only wore this a few times and now is happy to stretch down without the need of it. It did make a huge improvment very quickly. I also tried a lungy bungy ( i think that is what it is called) and that made some difference.

I would say give a chambon a go.
 
I would long rein. My boy needs to do lots of stretching ATM and I got the best results from LR. I can't use "gadgets" with him as he uses them as an excuse to curl his neck up, drop behind the vertical and not use his backend. On the long reins he got the hang of stretching really quickly and that helped with stretching when ridden. I sometimes lunge with just a headcollar or just a bridle and he stretches nicely in that now that he's got the hang of it.

I lunge over poles as well which also helps if you alter the differences slightly. My boy needed to learn to stretch and take longer strides so physio and vet wanted him worked over poles on the lunge at slightly longer distances than his normal stride. I only started with them slightly longer and it took him a few goes to realise that he *could* stretch over them but once he got the hang of it, I could widen them a little more.
 
My mare is brilliant at going round with her nose about 2 inches off the ground on the lunge which amazes me how she doesn't trip over her nose!! But to help her engage the rear end I either use a bungee or side reins. The bungee helps bring the head down as it pressure points on the top of the poll.
 
i dint relise if they went around with there nose nearlly touching the ground was good what does this mean or do for them?
 
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