Lunging without aids

[pixie27]

Probably a very daft question.

As per physio's recommendations, I lunge my horse over poles once a week (sometimes twice if he can't be ridden - needs to be in work min 5 days a week otherwise it's lots of bronc'y fun).

I've tried him in a soft rope over the back, between front legs and clipped onto the bit, but feel he was just slopping along at the back, and working in a false outline. Put him in a pessoa and he works a lot better, but I'm not 100% keen on it.

I'd ideally like to just lunge him in a bridle and lunge line, but when I do this, he just gallivants around with his head in the air, looking every other direction apart from the one he's going in.

So, any tips for working them correctly on the lunge without any gadgets/minimal gadgets? Is it a case of using two lunge lines on either side of the bridle? Not sure he'll tolerate that - he has a fair few explosions and I'd worry about the second line going around the back of him when this happens...


PS I don't want this to turn into a with gadgets vs without gadgets debate - everyone has their own opinion and this post is just about without for now.

 

[milliepops]

I use 2 reins but run the outside one over the back behind the roller. It's still easy to change direction/give aids etc but you have no issues of it being behind the hind legs.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I use a bungee over the head then attach to the girth between the front legs it's not tight pulling the head down it just stops mine putting there head so high when they get silly.

 

[JillA]

I'm not a fan of mechanical aids, and I suspect he might be wary of a pull on his mouth if you lunge him in a bridle, hence the stressy running around. Can you get hold of a cavesson, or even a leather headcollar that you can clip on to the nearest side? If he gets too busy, bring the circle in a little so he finds it harder to use himself, and let it out when he is more settled. If he is on a circle and stepping under, biomechanics dictate that he can't go hollow and head in air, so concentrate on looking for him tracking up to indicate he is stepping under properly.

 

[Batgirl]

Also some calm perseverance can help, if they are letting of steam letting them get through it and not 'over correcting', your calmness in turn calms them and slowly but surely head drops, back starts working and suddenly they are swinging along.

Also echo what JillA said.

 

[pixie27]

I'm not a fan of mechanical aids, and I suspect he might be wary of a pull on his mouth if you lunge him in a bridle, hence the stressy running around. Can you get hold of a cavesson, or even a leather headcollar that you can clip on to the nearest side? If he gets too busy, bring the circle in a little so he finds it harder to use himself, and let it out when he is more settled. If he is on a circle and stepping under, biomechanics dictate that he can't go hollow and head in air, so concentrate on looking for him tracking up to indicate he is stepping under properly.

Interesting about the cavesson/headcollar rather than bridle/bit. He's got quite a sensitive mouth (I use little to no hand until I can feel him working properly when ridden) so I'll give this a go tonight. So smaller circles until he's working, and then gradually let him out?

He's got a very 'let's get on with the job' attitude to everything bar lunging, so obviously something isn't sitting right with him at the mo.

 

[planete]

It is difficult to describe, much easier to show it. Try and use your body position to make him get into a slow tempo walk when he will have to start flexing his hocks and raising his back to keep his balance and do walk/halt transitions at irregular intervals but fairly frequently. When he cooperates you can very carefully ask for a few (three or four) steps of trot keeping the same tempo and, hopefully, the same outline. This presupposes established obedience to the walk/halt/trot commands of course. I was shown this by a classical instructor. The joints of the hind legs need to show marked flexion, no reaching forward with straight hind legs which would tip him onto his forehand. If you can keep him calm over a pole on the ground it will help achieve the flexing of the hind legs. It was the only method which worked with my very hollow Lipi/Arab cross, he just went like a giraffe if allowed to increase speed before he got the right muscles and habits.

 

[pixie27]

Really interesting, thanks planete. Will try to find some videos showing this. He's quite good on voice commands, and I can get him to slow down within a pace using voice, so I'll give this a go. We have issues doing walk-halt so something to work on there!

 

[Wheels]

Oh yes if he has a soft mouth then lunging off a bridle is not going to encourage him to relax. Try a headcollar as a short term but it's good to invest in a quality lunging cavesson. Then by using the middle ring you can change rein on the move through the circle.

It takes time to build up to self carriage. Be happy at first with a few steps. It actually sounds at the moment like a good place to start is just to get him to relax. I would start by starting on a 10m circle in walk in one corner, do a couple of circles then walk straight into the next corner and circle again, circle again at B or E and then straight again. This focuses horse and handler.

If you can promote a good bend then the horse will relax and stretch over the topline. To do this you need to be able to move the shoulders and the hindquarters, you can do this by body language if your horse is sensitive but also by pointing or lightly touching the shoulder or hip with the stiff end of the lunge whip. If the horse is falling in on the inside shoulder then he will be bent to the outside, put the shoulders back in front of the HQ and this will promote bend. On the other rein he will be quarters in so move the quarters back behind the shoulders and this will promote bend. Both will start to promote longitudinal flexion.

Tip of the iceberg but a good place to start

Once you have that basic idea you can use change of direction, shoulder in, serpentines, transitions etc

 

[BBP]

I have used clicker training with mine with great success. For years he would run around hollow and banana shaped with his head in the air. I did t want to use gadgets but realised that allowing him to do what he was doing was just exacerbating his weak back and SI issue and that I had to do something about it. So I clicker trained him to lower his head when standing. Then progressed to walking next to him and asking him to lower his head, then jogging next to him as he trotted and giving the same cue. Then I moved further from him and clicked when he lowered his head. He’s a smart cookie so it took just 3 sessions for him to progress all the way through to loose lunging with his head lowered and stretching over his back. Initially he over did it and went round on the forehand with his nose on the floor and tripping himself up in the canter but he learned fast and now walks trots and canters in a gorgeous slightly stretchy frame. Gone is the banana impression, no more bending to the outside or giraffe impression. His work under saddle has improved too. I lunge completely loose though, no rope to faff with that way!

 

[tallyho!]

I lunge with a proper lunging cavesson as the line is attached at the very front of the horse and so you have the most influence.

May I suggest a great book:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Straightening-Crooked-Horse-Innovative-Straightness/dp/1570766495

I had to rehab my horse after shoulder injury and we'd transitioned to bf and the transformation in his way of going was amazing... I combined it with Ingrid Klimke's book on Cavaletti.

 

[theopuppy]

Trying to do the same but mine is in a rope halter.

I walk long and low on the circle quite close to my girl and she stretches the nose down and out. As soon as we trot she sticks her head up and her legs are out behind. The last session I kept a shortish line..about 5 ft and kept encouraging her head down in trot.. she got there is the end and lowered her head in a rounder outline..not completely working over the back but an improvement on the stargazing! I think with patience she will come down and round which will also relax her as shes on red alert with her head up.

I'm not using a bridle at the moment as the training yard had her up and over in side reins/ long reins and paralysed her, so she is slowly being rehabbed at home.

 

[ponyparty]

Lunged mine in a rope halter last night for the first time.
I've never dared try in anything other than a bridle because he had a reputation for being a loony on the lunge - which he certainly lived up to. Motorbiking around, bucking and farting and generally being silly.
He's so chilled at the moment, and I couldn't be bothered to tack up properly for lunging (last time I tried he wasn't quite sound so quickly abandoned the idea).
He was absolutely golden - he didn't relax and lower his head fully but there were fleeting moments of it. He got a bit distracted by a horse arriving back on the yard in a trailer but he was mostly very chilled.
Previously I'd had him on two lunge lines, or in one of those soft cotton training aids (over the back and through front legs clipping onto bit) and not been overly enthused about either - neither was he and continued to behave like a loon.
So maybe less is more?! I don't know! Might try theopuppy's suggestion there keeping him on a shortish line and see if that helps.

 

[VioletStripe]

Equi ami or draw reins method for me (and I usually detest draw reins). Lungeing without aids I've found only works when my boy is already relatively tired and relaxed!