Lunging

[Widgeon]

I was lunging my horse the other day and one of the other liveries told me that I was letting him move me around too much - i.e. I was walking on a small circle inside his bigger circle. She said my feet should hardly move at all. I understand the principle of this - after all he shouldn't be dragging me around (and he isn't - he just naturally gravitates towards a larger circle than the lunge rein allows) - but I had understood that it was better for their joints not to just stick to a small circle for the whole time the horse is being worked. Am I missing a nuance here? What do others do? He's an established horse and I'm not overly concerned that I'm going to undo his understanding of how lunging works. I'm only lunging him a) so I can get the hang of it (I've never needed to do it before so am entirely unskilled!) and b) to give him some exercise on the odd time I can't ride - he is rather porkier than I'd like.

Any thoughts appreciated. Or links out to other sites if anyone wants to point me to some good advice.

 

[HazuraJane]

I lunge my horse who has some side bone concerns on an oval, so yes, I move with him. That's a bit different than a normal lunge session, though.

If you are beginning to lunge, you will learn to send out your intention to your horse through your body posture, and you won't move your feet so much.
It's good to be aware that not moving your feet is your goal, but you're just not there yet.
You'll get there. Just keep trying.

 

[Widgeon]

I lunge my horse who has some side bone concerns on an oval, so yes, I move with him. That's a bit different than a normal lunge session, though.

If you are beginning to lunge, you will learn to send out your intention to your horse through your body posture, and you won't move your feet so much.
It's good to be aware that not moving your feet is your goal, but you're just not there yet.
You'll get there. Just keep trying.

Sorry, that wasn't quite my question (thanks for replying though!) - so are you saying that I *should* aim not to move at all, i.e. keep the horse on the same small circle for the whole session? I'm sure that with time I can achieve that, but my question was more whether that's actually a desirable aim or not. He's a middle aged horse who's done quite a lot of jumping so I'm not overly keen on small circles unless I've got a specific schooling aim for them. I wouldn't ride him on a 15m circle for twenty minutes, so I'm not sure whether doing that when lunging is a good idea?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I personally don't like keeping a horse on a continuous small circle I often lunge mine around the whole arena so I have to run a lot, weather some people consider that wrong I don't really care I do what I think suits my horses. I think if your happy doing what you do what does it matter what's it got to do with any one else.

 

[Mrs G]

I was taught years ago that ideally the person lunging didn’t move much and the horse goes just around you but you can still send the horse out or bring it in on different sized circles, and this is probably a good way to first teach lunging to an inexperienced horse or person. However now I move around with the horse; eg If I’m lunging in an arena I’ll use the whole arena, moving from one end to the other, varying the pace, using the long sides to send them forward and using lots of different shapes etc. I think this is better for the horse physically and mentally than just endless circles its also better for the arena surface and means I get more exercise too!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Standing plum in the centre of the circle was the BHS taught way, I think. Not sure why, I think that‘s outmoded doctrine. There are far more possibilities if you move the horse and yourself around a bit more. I use the whole arena.

Sounds like your critic is set in the old ways.

 

[Equi]

I never stand still when lunging I love around quite a lot unless there is another horse in the arena and I have to stay more still.

 

[AUB]

I move all around the arena. That’s how it’s taught here.

 

[planete]

The yard owner will also be grateful if you move around the arena instead of wearing a deep circular groove in the school surface. Liveries ended up being banned from lunging at a yard I was at because of damage to the school surface.

 

[milliepops]

The yard owner will also be grateful if you move around the arena instead of wearing a deep circular groove in the school surface. Liveries ended up being banned from lunging at a yard I was at because of damage to the school surface.

This
For the good of the horse and the surface I always tend to move around a fair bit.

 

[Goldenstar]

You need to be able to do both with the trained horse however in reality you should be on the move round the school .
However you need to in charge of exactly where the horse is going .

 

[Tihamandturkey]

Another "mover" here - not only is it better for horse and arena surface it's also great for getting those steps in ?

 

[Widgeon]

Thank you very much everyone - so, it sounds like I should get the hang of keeping my feet in one place so I'm in control of exactly what's going on (as Goldenstar says), then once I've cracked that I probably do want to be moving us both about more. And the "standing still" way is probably the old school way of doing things, which explains why some people do it. This is making more sense now.

However you need to in charge of exactly where the horse is going .

Thanks!

 

[HeyMich]

I was always told that as long as any steps I take are forwards not backwards, then moving around is fine. Backsteps makes the horse think he is moving you,wheras forwards steps are you moving the horse. Does that make sense? It's my mantra anyway.

 

[Goldenstar]

Practise walking along the wall of the school with the horse an even distance not further than you can manage this will increase in time .

Practise using your body and Whip to walk the horse straight ( sometimes you can start this with a long schooling whip if you find it easier I was starated doing this using a passage whip ) .

When the horse loses the straight line walk a circle start again keep moving your working at keeping the horse a regular distance from you .

Through trial and error you will learn to position your self and the whip to direct the horse out ( you can teach that as a voice command ) .

In end you can go right round the school in a straight live curving in the corners and making the odd circle .

Its a good investment to work on training your self to be good at this .

 

[Widgeon]

Practise walking along the wall of the school with the horse an even distance not further than you can manage this will increase in time .

Practise using your body and Whip to walk the horse straight ( sometimes you can start this with a long schooling whip if you find it easier I was starated doing this using a passage whip ) .

When the horse loses the straight line walk a circle start again keep moving your working at keeping the horse a regular distance from you .

Through trial and error you will learn to position your self and the whip to direct the horse out ( you can teach that as a voice command ) .

In end you can go right round the school in a straight live curving in the corners and making the odd circle .

Its a good investment to work on training your self to be good at this .

Thanks - yes I will practice this. To be honest I'm mainly lunging him so I can get the hang of it with a nice easy sensible horse - he knows exactly what he's doing and will trundle round at the prescribed speed wherever I've put him. The one thing he's not keen on is the whip (I suspect he may have been chased around a bit in the past - if I use a lunge whip he just scoots round and round in a very fast slightly worried trot) so I use my right arm in place of the whip. It makes me look like a traffic officer but it seems to work.

 

[HazuraJane]

Sorry, that wasn't quite my question (thanks for replying though!) - so are you saying that I *should* aim not to move at all, i.e. keep the horse on the same small circle for the whole session? I'm sure that with time I can achieve that, but my question was more whether that's actually a desirable aim or not. He's a middle aged horse who's done quite a lot of jumping so I'm not overly keen on small circles unless I've got a specific schooling aim for them. I wouldn't ride him on a 15m circle for twenty minutes, so I'm not sure whether doing that when lunging is a good idea?

Lunging for fifteen minutes is a long time. Yes, what I am saying is that when you've done enough lunging, whether or not you move your feet will be your call, not dictated by your horse's movement. In the horse world, the one who has to move their feet to accommodate the other horse is a constant game of dominance and in time, you will project the attitude of 'lead mare' for whom the other horse moves their feet. I know that sounds a bit nit-picky, yet when my horses move their feet with intention after I have put them in a place, it's time for me to gently insist they go back to where I put them. "With intention" is not shifting a foot for comfort, it's moving the feet where the body is coming with it. Sorry so long and even though the foot-moving part may not seem to relate to lunging, it actually does relate.

 

[Goldenstar]

Never keep your horses in a small circle a whole session .
I have traced my average working session I walk between three and four kilometres .
to be truly effective you will to train your horse to trust respect and understand the whip .

 

[Widgeon]

Never keep your horses in a small circle a whole session .
I have traced my average working session I walk between three and four kilometres .
to be truly effective you will to train your horse to trust respect and understand the whip .

That's a lot....definitely something to aim for, that should be good for both of our waistlines! Yes I agree about the whip, ultimately I would like to get him used to it and realise that I'm not going to whop him one with it. That's probably a job to leave for later though, once I've got the hang of the basics.

Sorry so long and even though the foot-moving part may not seem to relate to lunging, it actually does relate.

Yes I do know what you mean - fortunately he's a very nicely behaved horse and never tries to push into my space; if I move towards him he moves away, unless I've told him to stand still. So that's one thing I don't have to worry about. My last horse would keep diving into the circle and had to be constantly pushed out and forwards until he gave up and started to understand what was needed. I don't think he'd ever really been lunged before.

 

[Chianti]

Personally I can't think of anything more boring for a horse than trotting a 15 meter circle for 15 minutes. I do use circles occasionally but most of the session we move around the school. You can work on the same things.

 

[Cortez]

You can keep your whip tucked away behind you if the horse is worried, and only bring it around to point it at him when required.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

There is always someone who wants to criticise on a livery yard!

 

[Lois Lame]

My 2 cents: what might be correct and right for training might not be correct for what you intend to do.

Me? I move around. It's good for me; for the fat, elderly pony; for the area in which I lunge and for what I want to do. I am not training, I am exercising.

ETA: I hardly ever do it as he lives out 24/7 with many friends in a very large paddock, but Spring is here, we've had good rain, we have grass. I have to either start riding or doing something very soon, like yesterday.

 

[Widgeon]

....he lives out 24/7 with many friends in a very large paddock, but Spring is here, we've had good rain, we have grass. I have to either start riding or doing something very soon, like yesterday.

I know that feeling!! I've just bought (another) new girth. At some point he has to stop getting fatter....right? He's eaten *almost* everything in his paddock and has started picking at hay when I bring him in, I've decided that a bit of hunger in a cob is probably a positive thing.

 

[Widgeon]

You can keep your whip tucked away behind you if the horse is worried, and only bring it around to point it at him when required.

Thanks, I'll try that once I've mastered my own coordination a bit better. At the moment I've (literally) got my hands full dealing with the lunge line. We've got the vet out next week and I think I'm going to have to ask my friend to lunge him for the vet for me so I don't show myself up

 

[Rumtytum]

Thanks, I'll try that once I've mastered my own coordination a bit better. At the moment I've (literally) got my hands full dealing with the lunge line. We've got the vet out next week and I think I'm going to have to ask my friend to lunge him for the vet for me so I don't show myself up

Had first lunge lesson last week at my riding school, my instructor showed how to do it, moving around the school, then I had a go. My RS horse was a star, like a schoolmaster so when I got it right he worked well. One thing I learned was big loops in my hand so it can’t get crushed if the horse pulls (he didn’t). I managed to hold the lunge whip although it was wobbly in my left (weaker) hand. We then did long reining around the arena, reins plus whip was too much for me so the whip was jettisoned ?

 

[Chianti]

Had first lunge lesson last week at my riding school, my instructor showed how to do it, moving around the school, then I had a go. My RS horse was a star, like a schoolmaster so when I got it right he worked well. One thing I learned was big loops in my hand so it can’t get crushed if the horse pulls (he didn’t). I managed to hold the lunge whip although it was wobbly in my left (weaker) hand. We then did long reining around the arena, reins plus whip was too much for me so the whip was jettisoned ?

If you want to long rein then buy a driving whip. They're shorter and much lighter.