Lunging -

[Horsekaren]

I posted earlier in the year looking for gadgets to help my horse work over his back when on the lunge line. He use to bumble along on his forehand and wouldn't perform any sort of stretching unless to itch his nose. A lot of you said if you work a horse correctly you shouldn't need any contraptions and i thought hffff its impossible, i used a bungee about 3 times but made new improvement when lunging without the bungee, i then changed his bit to a lock up snaffle and then everything changed.

fast forward a few months and its like lunging a completely different horse, he will bumble for 2-3 mins on the forehand but i allow this as he is warming up (not sure if that is correct to allow). I then half halt the lunge line using my elbow whilst resting my hand on my hip for stillness, i give a quick flick with the whip and say comeon and his back lifts and his head then drops (i dont look at his head im just focused on his hind legs and back). Every time i lunge i couldnt be more proud of him choosing to work in this manor when asked clearly with nothing but a bridle (i wont even attempt with a head collar as he will *iss off).

After all of that waffle my question is- when he is working over his back he is stepping under and tracking up but he isnt going particularly fast, i push him on and he will fall on to the forehand for a few strides then lifts his back but i can see he finds it harder when i ask for more speed. Is speed (forwardness) important for this to be a proper work out or is a slower collected trot ok? Because he is doing so great i'm nervous to push him on if his muscles arn't particularly ready and i don't want to confuse him when i can see he is trying to understand me.

 

[be positive]

Speed is not forwardness but your slow trot is unlikely to be collected either, it sounds as if he is doing well but needs to start to increase the energy level more of the time, encourage him to be a little more powerful for just a few strides at a time and gradually he will find it easier and the time he maintains it will become longer and he will be more consistent.
Include plenty of transitions to get him stepping under, both within the trot and into and out of walk, aim for just a few strides of walk then into an active trot and he should start to power forward through the transitions without falling on his forehand.

 

[Horsekaren]

Speed is not forwardness but your slow trot is unlikely to be collected either, it sounds as if he is doing well but needs to start to increase the energy level more of the time, encourage him to be a little more powerful for just a few strides at a time and gradually he will find it easier and the time he maintains it will become longer and he will be more consistent.
Include plenty of transitions to get him stepping under, both within the trot and into and out of walk, aim for just a few strides of walk then into an active trot and he should start to power forward through the transitions without falling on his forehand.

Yes i guess that's what i'm trying to say it lacks a bit of oumphh, collected is probably to polite, its a wonderful looking trot, he literally grows a few inches in height as his back lifts but by no means powerful. I can get a few oumph circles about 12 mins in but i really have to get after him.
So if i include lots of transitions once warmed up to and from walk and ask for speed changes within the trot that should help?
I'm so pleased with where he is now to where he was but a little unsure how to progress. I guess just keep focusing on what you have suggested and then in two months he should be able to hold himself longer

Thank you for the tips

 

[be positive]

Yes i guess that's what i'm trying to say it lacks a bit of oumphh, collected is probably to polite, its a wonderful looking trot, he literally grows a few inches in height as his back lifts but by no means powerful. I can get a few oumph circles about 12 mins in but i really have to get after him.
So if i include lots of transitions once warmed up to and from walk and ask for speed changes within the trot that should help?
I'm so pleased with where he is now to where he was but a little unsure how to progress. I guess just keep focusing on what you have suggested and then in two months he should be able to hold himself longer

Thank you for the tips

It needs oomph to have any real purpose but don't expect it to last for a few circles, aim for a few really good strides at a time look for quality rather than quantity initially, move him up a gear within the trot and don't forget to ask for him to move down as well, think of the downward within the trot as being a half halt rather than a slow down or reduction of energy and he will benefit from both upwards and downwards transitions, the latter are often not given enough thought and the horse tends to slow rather than change gear and step under with purpose.