My pony wont lunge! Any tips?

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HaffiesRock

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I have been backing my 9 year old mare this summer (ex broodmare) and she has been hacking well. She has been very stubbourn in the school so I called in a professional.

Unfortunately after an hour and a half the lady had made no progress at all, and if anything was a step back from where I had been!

She lunged lovely at my old yard, but since i've moved (2 months ago now) she just wont lunge! On one rein she will do a lap or 2 and then she comes back in and rests her face on you. On the other rein she will back all the way to the end of the line, but when I ask her to move off in a circle, she just comes back in and rest her head again. She doesn't have any fear of anything, whips, plastic bags etc so that didn't work when the trainer tried. She doesn't like spray bottles so she tried that which worked for a couple of minutes until she realised the spray wouldn't hurt her (At least it desensitised her to the spray!)

So my question is, any tips to get this pony lungeing? I have 3 different areas I can lunge in so I can try in all the different places, but any tips on getting her on the circle?

Thanks
 
It is strange that she suddenly won't lunge at the new yard- could she be feeling insecure and wants to be with you in the middle?
My youngster didn't want to learn to lunge when I was backing him, he would either run backwards and drag me across the field (yes, all I had at the time was a field) or he would come at me ears back and bucking. I was lucky because he was quite flighty back then and one day I cracked the whip really loud, he ran and the only place to go was round me in a circle, so I praised him loads and from then on it was like flicking a switch, he just understood.
Our other horse is a reluctant lunger simply because he is lazy- you can hit him with the whip and he drags himself round you in a tiny circle- I've almost given up with him!
Have you got a small enough arena that you could try free schooling her? That way when she goes out she won't be able to pull on the lunge line and get into a tug of war, and when she comes in you can chase her back out again. Or perhaps she just needs more time to settle in? Our lazy horse acts chilled out immediately but isn't truly happy and settled until he's been at a yard for 6 months- so perhaps patience is the answer?
 
I can only think that she is unsettled but we have been there 7 weeks now and I take her walking all over. I think she has decided that she doesnt want to be a ridden pony and prefers her life of laziness! But, that cant happen as she needs to work or I cant keep her :O(

I will keep going with it and keep you posted! x
 
Have you thought about using 2 lines instead (like long-reining), so you can control both the inside and outside rein, and encourage her to stay out on the circle?

Just an idea :)
 
You can do plenty of schooling on the hacks, she may be better in an open field than in the confines of an arena more forward thinking and happier to work.

Try lunging on 2 reins, it is much harder for them to turn in as you can hold them out with the outside rein.
 
I always lunge with two lines as I think you have much more control. I also found circling the end of the outside rein got my reluctant pony going .....pressure and release principles stop when their going start when they stop. But as she was lunging before I would get her checked over by an osto their may be a reason why she doesn't want to work in circles at the moment.
 
She had her back done a couple of weeks ago and had her saddle checked so I dont thin kit is pain. I really think it is stubbourness and reluctance to work.

We dont have a school, only a field so I lunge her in a couple of different once to mix things up.

I have never lunged with two lines before... I will Google that! xx
 
Definately try with 2 lines.

Another thought - has she been hit with the whip? I am in no way suggesting that you beat her, just that some horses get very canny when they realise that the whip makes lots of noise but doesn't actually do anything to them. One of the ways what you have written can be interpreted is that your mare has found a way to get out of being lunged - one short sharp smack could shock her into realising it is not an option.
 
Get a heavy type of rope, I use a thick white one with a leather tassle on the end and swing it over arm to drive her shoulders out. If you keep pushing at her back end she is going to turn to you, you need to push the shoulders out.

Do not let her into your personal space, swing the rope right at her, shake it as violently as you can to get her to back the hell off and teach her to stand in her own space. You'll find it a lot easier to move her out when she's not on top of you but you must stick to your guns. Not sure what sort of professional you had out but I'd try someone else.
 
I use a Parelli style line for lungeing and I havent hit her, but the trainer taped her round the legs and she bucked. I dont want to encourage bucking! x
 
If she hasn't done much lunging, then the 1&1/2 with the trainer could have put her off. I'm not suggesting the trainer spent all that time working her hard, or beating her etc, but a long session she didn't enjoy could well have soured her for now. I would just stick to hacking for now, & school on hacks. Then when she is more settled & has consistent flatwork on a hack, start with one ridden session in the field a week & slowly build up to half her ridden work being in the field. Then introduce the lunging again, starting with only a few minutes. And agree with others re lunging with two reins. And same for long lining, do it on hacks before building up to doing it in the field.
 
When you lunged her at the other yard was it on a different surface where she felt safer on her feet? Its harder for them to balance on grass so she might be afraid of slipping? Its harder work for them too because they have to stay more upright to balance. Ifs she's only just been backed she might not be strong enough for this yet.

If you have been mainly hacking then she hasn't been using the muscles which keep them supple and balanced when working on a circle, so she just might be finding it genuinely very hard. If its this I would do more ridden schooling, build up gradually to lots of loops and circles until she is more balanced and confident working on a circle. It will help her to keep the circle large at first so that she can find her balance.

Are you lunging her in a bridle or lunge cavesson? If you are using a bridle is she happy with the bit action? My mare hates the lunge rein looped over her head or threaded straight through the bit rings. I loop it once around the inside bit ring then thread through to the other side to make sure there is no excess pressure pulling on her mouth. If she is sensitive in her mouth this could be worrying her and causing her to turn in.
 
SpottyFalula said:
I use a Parelli style line for lungeing and I havent hit her, but the trainer taped her round the legs and she bucked. I dont want to encourage bucking! x
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Do you mean tapped her on the legs? If not, I'm not sure what you mean by taped, sorry.

Many horses will buck or kick out the first time they are touched with a stick (and often, some times after this). IME it doesn't breed a bucker, but if she has bucked and then nobody has gone near her with the stick again is, in my opinion, only teaching her how to get away with it.
 
You could try just long reining her to get her going forward and then when she is moving freely gradually move towards her inside making sure you stay to the rear of her to keep her moving away from you, eventually hopefully you will end up in the correct place for lungeing and then you can move her about as you lunge, ovals, moving the circle up the field, spirals etc.etc.
 
WandaMare said:
When you lunged her at the other yard was it on a different surface where she felt safer on her feet? Its harder for them to balance on grass so she might be afraid of slipping? Its harder work for them too because they have to stay more upright to balance. Ifs she's only just been backed she might not be strong enough for this yet.

If you have been mainly hacking then she hasn't been using the muscles which keep them supple and balanced when working on a circle, so she just might be finding it genuinely very hard. If its this I would do more ridden schooling, build up gradually to lots of loops and circles until she is more balanced and confident working on a circle. It will help her to keep the circle large at first so that she can find her balance.

Are you lunging her in a bridle or lunge cavesson? If you are using a bridle is she happy with the bit action? My mare hates the lunge rein looped over her head or threaded straight through the bit rings. I loop it once around the inside bit ring then thread through to the other side to make sure there is no excess pressure pulling on her mouth. If she is sensitive in her mouth this could be worrying her and causing her to turn in.
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This is very interesting thank you. Yes the surface was different, it was a rubber chip school before.
I lunge her in a bridle with her Parelli halter underneath and I attach the line to that. The trainer did attach to the bit and then over her head so she may have not liked this, or not liked a stranger?

I got on her in the school the next day and she was great. Did 5 minutes of lungeing yesterday and she was perfect?! Then got on her and did some circles and bends and she was great.

Maybe she didn't like/trust the trainer as shes been fab the last few days?
 
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