My horse will not lunge :(

TheMagicHaflinger

TheMagicHaflinger

New User
Joined
9 May 2012
Messages
6
Visit site
I tried to lunge my horse yesterday, and he just wouldn't do it. He didn't misbehave as such, but he wouldn't go round at all, and he just stood looking at me and trying to come in to me until i gave up. I tried pointing the whip at his shoulder to get him to go out, but he just ignored it and carried on standing there and trying to come to me.
It's really frustrating, does anyone have any ideas on how i can get him to lunge?
Thanks :)
 
Have lessons from someone who is qualified to teach lunging and have them teach your lad as well.
 
Try "chasing him" & cracking the whip towards his arse so that he moves away until he gets to the end of the long rope then he should carry on. If he still won't then get someone to lead round you in a circle a couple of times and he'll soon get the idea.

My young'un wouldn't do it at first and if you think about it - why would he know what to do unless he's shown? He'll pick it up soon enough ;)
 
No help, but hope you sort it.

I have problems with my lad, he does not like to bend so does half a circle then comes in. If you try pushing him out he just goes faster, really does not get it. So I am going to long line instead, once my equipment turns up :) (roller and second line)
 
Ditto getting someone to help you.

I start by walking in circles and then gradually getting further and further away until they get the idea and are tuned in to the voice aids.

Some horses just don't get it straight away but really they don't go from no idea to perfect lungers in one giant step, it is quite an art to lunge correctly (with the horse balanced and working rather than motorbiking round sightseeing).

If your boy has been ridden then it is highly likely he will have been lunged in the past, he may just need reminding.

My mare is excellent on the lunge but if the handler isn't confident or clear then she will do her own thing (like coming in to the middle for a cuddle :o)
 
I agree that a lesson is well worth while. It's all about body language and I needed instruction to get Bree going because she'd just follow me around like a big black Labrador.

Paula.
 
I'd be careful about chasing him as frightening now when he's doesn't get lungeing could cause problems in the long term. I'd get someone out to work with you and him so he gets the hang of it.
 
Definately get some lessons. I had the same problems with my horse. When I got some help it became obvious that he did know how to lunge, it was me that was doing it wrong. The improvement that I got was unbelieveable. It is all about body language and positioning yourself correctly.
 
picolenicole said:
So I am going to long line instead, once my equipment turns up :) (roller and second line)
Click to expand...

Depending on your reason for lunging you may want to give long lining a go. A pony I have had on loan was very difficult to lunge (she would just canter and canter and canter) but was great to long line. In my opinion long lining is also more fun for the handler than lunging.
 
Anglebracket said:
Depending on your reason for lunging you may want to give long lining a go. A pony I have had on loan was very difficult to lunge (she would just canter and canter and canter) but was great to long line. In my opinion long lining is also more fun for the handler than lunging.
Click to expand...

Must admit I do like long lining better.

I lunge to see how he moves, theres only me that ride's him so never see him moving. He is really good with voice comands and does not leg it on the lung unless he thinks I'm asking to much, i.e. trot on and mean it not just a fast walk. Sometimes we can a little leap and he "tells" me off, quite funny when he does it.

When riding I do have help him quite a bit when bending with my outside rein, so think long lining will be better. Plus I feel better myself as when long lining I work harder than lunging.
 
Last edited:
NoseyPosey said:
Try "chasing him" & cracking the whip towards his arse so that he moves away until he gets to the end of the long rope then he should carry on. If he still won't then get someone to lead round you in a circle a couple of times and he'll soon get the idea.
Click to expand...

Obviously this is not the way to teach your horse to lunge, OP. (But I'm sure you didn't need that point out.......:))
 
No, "Obviously" :rolleyes:

OK, because it's so much harder to explain things than show, try substituting "chase" for "move towards the back of the horse/crack the whip/use body language just enough for him to get the point about what you want him to do"

I'm not suggesting chasing around the field FFS.

The point I was trying to make is that the horse won't automatically know what you want it to do without being shown but once it understands what you're asking it will. The same as any training for the first time really, especially if it's a youngster.
 
I lunge with two lines as otherwise my boy trys to charge at me!! He is not frightened of whips just very very cheeky. Try lunging with two lines till he gets the idea then go back to one. I'm lucky that mine is goes alot on voice but I never found that chasing or cracking the whip ever worked. A few ladies from my yard showed me how to lunge ask about see if anyone can spare a bit of time to help u. They may need someone to walk next to them to start with till ur ponio gains their confidence. Good luck be persistent it really does pay off. X
 
Try and think of how you would get your horse to move away from you if he weren't on the end of a line. Definitely don't chase him, but do square up, look him in the eye and move towards him. If he doesn't move away then you can give a little flick with the whip but definitely don't crack it behind him as you will scare him.

Maybe practice some free lunging first so you become aware of your body language before trying to lunge. Body language is the key.
 
NoseyPosey said:
I'm not suggesting chasing around the field FFS.
Click to expand...

You don't need to *FFS*, I was only responding to what you wrote.

The point I was trying to make is that the horse won't automatically know what you want it to do without being shown but once it understands what you're asking it will. The same as any training for the first time really, especially if it's a youngster.
Click to expand...

Indeed, and if you teach them correctly then, then it can be a worthwhile exercise.

However, you don't teach them by standing toward the back of them and cracking a whip toward their backside.
 
Definitely try long refining I.e lunge rein attached both sides with one round his rear use a roller with rings or pass rein through stirrup to stop it coming up over his back you can send him on much better & have a softer contact I cannot understand why anyone would only lunge with 1 rein unless it is a baby first few times on lunge in which case you have a helper sending horse on
 
Echo getting someone to teach you, its all about positioning and body language.

some horses need 2 people, one to lead them round a few times too
 
There's one like this at my yard, stong little 2yo fell x who has no respect for anyones space, other than that he is a cute little family pony lol ;)

Only thing that worked for him was getting my RI to do ground work with his. By then end on the 20 minutes he had got him over his bridling issue, stopped him dragging the 13yo who owns him down the lane and taught him how to lunge away from you. he doesnt take any rubbish off any horse, he put him in his place. As he is quite expensive, they haven't had him do it since and as they are very inexperienced he has gone back to his old ways.

What the RI did was hold his ground and jab the hard end of the lunge whip into his shoulder, if he came to charge at him he got a slap on the nose and was forced to go round again. becuase my RI is very firm and quite 'old school' with horses, he was going round perfectly by the end, we were all in shock! :eek:

At the end of the day, you need someone who knows what they are doing to have lessons with :) good luck
 
ellie11987 said:
There's one like this at my yard, stong little 2yo fell x who has no respect for anyones space, other than that he is a cute little family pony lol ;)

Only thing that worked for him was getting my RI to do ground work with his. By then end on the 20 minutes he had got him over his bridling issue, stopped him dragging the 13yo who owns him down the lane and taught him how to lunge away from you. he doesnt take any rubbish off any horse, he put him in his place. As he is quite expensive, they haven't had him do it since and as they are very inexperienced he has gone back to his old ways.

What the RI did was hold his ground and jab the hard end of the lunge whip into his shoulder, if he came to charge at him he got a slap on the nose and was forced to go round again. becuase my RI is very firm and quite 'old school' with horses, he was going round perfectly by the end, we were all in shock! :eek:

At the end of the day, you need someone who knows what they are doing to have lessons with :) good luck
Click to expand...


Wow, sounds like that two year old has had a really good grounding in what his working life will be like. Poor little thing,


Thank god the RI is too expensive for them to have him back.
 
My horse does lunge very well, but there is lunging...and there is lunging! My instructor gave me a fabulous lunge lesson and got him working much better then I ever could! In a nut shell - get your instructor up!
 
amymay said:
You don't need to *FFS*, I was only responding to what you wrote.
Click to expand...

No, what you did was merely echo other comments & make a sarcastic one of your own instead of providing helpful adivice or anything constructive which was what the OP wanted. We can all suggest "take lessons or get someone to show you". There'd be no need for a forum then, would there.

ellie11987 said:
What the RI did was hold his ground and jab the hard end of the lunge whip into his shoulder, if he came to charge at him he got a slap on the nose and was forced to go round again. becuase my RI is very firm and quite 'old school' with horses, he was going round perfectly by the end, we were all in shock! :eek:
Click to expand...
Funny old thing that. Sounds like I'm not the only one in the nicey nicey brigade then. Whatever works for you, I guess.....

Just to reinforce my view, I'm not saying you have to abuse the animal to make it do what you want. Usually (in my experience) all you have to do is "suggest" what you want the horse to do and, bar inevitable exceptions it will quickly understand.
 
NoseyPosey said:
No, what you did was merely echo other comments & make a sarcastic one of your own instead of providing helpful adivice or anything constructive which was what the OP wanted.
Click to expand...

I don't need to copy anyone's comments NoseyPosey.

You simply come across as not knowing what you're talking about, and my comments to you pointed that out to you - sarcastically or not....
 
There is drive and there is draw. Which do you want? Personally I prefer to "draw" my horses towards me rather than "driving" them away. So I think everyone needs to think about what they are trying to achieve when mastering "lunging".....When I first started my first horse I was frustrated when I tried to lunge because every time I halted him he turned in towards me......I overcame that and then later discovered that actually I had a good thing going with that!! So remember that what might seem "bad" at one point of time can actually be "good"!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top