Lunging!!!

S

Sarah6

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18 October 2006
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Hey any tips on lunging!?
got an assessment nxt week n im crap @ doing it properly, is there an order 2 put side reins on? which arm d'uput da whip under? help!
 
seems nobody does any
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whip under you none leading hand (so if horse is on left rein whip is under your right arm).

Side riends should be put on left then right.. or atleast i would!

Dont drop your line..

keep a good contact on the head, the same as if you were riding the horse.
Dont panic if is looks like its gone pair shaped cause it probably hasnt!

If the horse bolts, keep hold and restore order.. this is not a fail.. this is showing skill.
Lou x
 
Will they be testing you on the spelling of lungeing too?
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Sorry, couldn't resist. Good luck with your assessment. I can't offer advice as I have no idea what the "correct way" of doing things is and would hate to give you any bad habit advice.
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BHS way is to lead the horse out onto the circle, starting it on the left rein (as horses are easier on left), so whip under left arm, leading with lunge rein in right hand and spare in left hand. Stop horse, swap rein into left hand and whip into right with spare loops, send out, work in for a couple of circles in walk and trot. Stop horse, check girth. Put outside side rein on first (for control) then inner one. Then send out again. Then change rein (with side reins still on) by doing two half 10m circles across middle (so not turning horse too sharply with side reins on). And lunge on right rein with line in right hand, and whip in left.
Voila!
S
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Have to tell you about my first attempt at lungeing my horse on my own. I couldn't get my darling boy to move and as I feebly waved the whip at him he kept turning around to face me. This meant I had to walk around him to try and get behind him. It ended up with our roles totally reversed - I was walking a bigger and bigger circle while my fiendisly clever horse (half connemara pony - makes them even more devious) stood still at the centre. I swear he was sniggering at me so all I could do was crack up myself! We've got the lungeing thing sorted now but I'll never be BHS material - I still occasionally tie myself up with the lunge line - horse just laughs. I can't help feeling that the benefit of having your horse at home is you can make a total fool of yourself in private!

I'm sure you won't do any of this and will do really well in your assessment - good luck!
 
if you lunge with 2 ropes you dont need a whip as the reign behind the horse drives it on, we teach them that when you raise your back rope they step up a pace and if you lower both ropes and soften your voice and soften your body language they slow down, i find if you want the horse to canter, i canter!??? it works as their watching your body and feet!!
 
When I was doing exams I was advised to ask the examiner what word commands the horse was used to (assuming you are not using horses you are used to). Ie, I say "up" when asking for canter, some people say "canter", whoah or walk etc. Don't lead the horse with side reins on, only do them up when horse has warmed up. Some people advise not to thread the spare end of the side rein through the buckle keeper so they're easier to undo if the horse manages to get a leg over. The bridle cheekpieces should be over the cavesson to avoid pinching. Lunger should wear gloves and a hard hat, remove spurs if you've been riding in them. When I was doing my A test I had a lazy horse, when I cracked the whip I heard this collective gasp from the other candidates with whispers of "she cracked the whip, you shouldn't do that"! but the examiner said I was the only one who got the horse moving, so read the horse and not necessarily go by the "text book"!
Good luck!
 
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