Lunging

[jmb]

I brought my pony back into work today, thought I would take her for a short hack. After spooking at the 'ghosts' in the hedge and refusing to listen to any of my aids I only got to the end of the road before I turned back.

Took her into the arena to lunge and she went mental, it was all I could do was hold the end of the lunge to keep from getting dragged. Tried nice whooaa, steaddyyy voice but soon gave up and let her run for 10 min to run off her steam.

She did settle somewhat but I never felt I had her attention or listening to my voice. Eventually, an hour later, we got to a point were I had the lunge rein short (so she was in a tight small circle) and I could get her to trot and walk. By this point she was really sweaty and had exhaused herself.

Anyone got any ideas how to teach her to lunge better/listen to my voice?

She is 12 this year, stopped competing in October so normal for her to have a break til new year. She has a small bib clip under her neck and had full set new shoes put on yesterday as she goes barefoot while she is on her holidays.

 

[only_me]

Did you lunge for 1hr? That is a very long time, no wonder pony is exhausted
Is she only back into work?

 

[jmb]

No didnt lunge for an hour, it was an hour overall by the time we had tried to hack,come home, and lunged in school. Yes she is only just back into work and I am happy to give her some le-way on manners as I suspect she is fresh and with new shoes not 'feely' (i hope this makes sense). But I am not happy to have no breaks/ steering and not feel safe to hack out! She wasn't bothered by the traffic..just the monsters out there

Maybe I am over reacting and need to give her more time to settle but I am just so disheartened that it took half an hour lunging for her to trot without looking like a wild beast ie head in air,tail in air, bucking and snorting and it was only when I shorten the rein to a very small circle that I could get any sort of reaction from her that she acknowledged my presence.