Naughty pony on the lunge

PookiELJ

PookiELJ

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Well I say pony, he is a big bugger of a pony and not a very nice one at times!! ... SOMETIMES when I lunge him he decides no, as soon as we go into walk he'll go full pelt gallop won't stop bucking, rearing, bunny hopping bronking you name it he's doing it and mostly aimed at me and a few times he's nearly got me thankfully I know to wear my hat now ! (even though I know you should) he was so p*ssed off with me I stopped and walked him in hand for a bit and he reared and bucked then too! I KNOW he's just being a little bratt that doesn't want to behave and wants to be in the field with his friends instead of working but it's really starting to wind me up.. anyone else experienced this? and he is a 4yo and I know his age and blah blah but if he was scared/didn't know what to do I would think nothing of it but he's aiming it all at me... any opinions will be appreciated! :)
 
when i got my lad he used to do the same thing. now if i know he is going to be stroppy i will freeschool him first to get the bucks out and then control his direction until he does a monty roberts style join up. he always lunges fine after that.
 
If this is definatly pure naughtiness:
Send him forward, don't let him turn into you. When he does turn in run to his arse end and if needs be give him a bit of a tap with the whip but only if needed.
When he is bucking and rearing send him forward. Out of interest what are you lunging him in?

Sounds very silly but if he does turn into you and your not quick enough to get to his arse end to send forward wave your arms up in the air with fingers open so he doesn't get any closer to you.

You need to be one step ahead of him at all times. I'd also recommend wearing a BP when lunging just in case.
 
SNAP ! ;)

My YO, who is so much braver than me, managed with voice and lots of use of the whip (not on him) to get him going round. She let him go either way, but to not turn in on her.

i tried tonight, and was in despair over Shy turning in, whilst bronking :mad: lunge line flying everywhere despite very careful handling. I use a bit clip and lunge him from that to make things safer.Ha !!

Now I am in the school thinking about this logically.....unclip the lunge line and start free schooling - we were OFF, he went so well both reins, I put down some poles and he loved it ! So that's the plan from now on, until he really understands I'm the boss :eek:

I must admit that watching him bronk and rear made me very proud tho ;)
 
I had exactly the same problem with my new horse (and posted about it) last week when I tried to lunge him for the first time. He was bucking/rearing at me, thank god I wore my hat as having a 16.3hh shire x coming at you is a bit intimidating. Anyway I asked a experienced friend to come up and help me over weekend, saturday we did in hand work and Sunday we repeated and then very gradually asked him to go out on lunge and he was perfect. Basically he is a worrier and when he doesn't understand something he tries to intimidate you so you stop asking. It's very easy to just force him into doing it but taking a bit of time and patience with him, we got a good result. It's going to take a while till i'd be happy just to lunge him straight away. We are going to repeat exercises regularly, also I know his stress signs now, he starts to mouth alot and worry with his mouth xx
 
I have the same issue only my boy is an 18.1hh Warmblood and he';s 20 years old now so no chance of him growing out of it, I have come to realise he just detests being lunged and would much rather be ridden :-) Sorry that's not a very constructove comment but I would hazard a guess that your boy will grow out of his behaviour in time, however, if not, it isn;t the end of the world......have you tried long reining?
 
How long have you been lunging him? what I mean is, is it something that is relatively new to him or at least with you and him?

If its a case that he knows what he's supposed to doing then doing plenty of ground work first before you ask him to lunge pays off, getting him a calm state of mind as well as listening to you. Such as walking correctly at you side, stopping, standing square and still, walking on straight away, backing up, moving to the side, all on your command.
Also using cones to walk him through on a short lunge so he's moving around you on a small circle but through the cones, this gives a horse like this something to focus on yet takes their mind off what they think your going to do...ie same old lunging which they have now associated with playing you up, 10 minutes of this every day will pay off even if you only lunge a few walk circles each way, finish on a good note before he acts up, so he learns that if he behaves, its not only can be an enjoyable experience but not a drawn out affair, yes he is only 4, short concentration spans an all but if you can work with him rather than against him, he will then start to listen and meet you half way.

Also some horses object to being lunged off the bit, even if you use those lunging clips or slip the line through and over the poll, if the mess about, you and the horse are just fighting against each other because their getting mixed messages through the mouth,
as well as getting jabbed and hauled about. Personally I much prefer to lunge just from a head piece, be it a cavason or a good head collar, after all your aiming for obedience not a battle of strength and control through the mouth, which in turn will preserve a nice soft mouth for ridden work which will be responsive from the lightest touch/aids and at 4 years of age is what ideally you should work towards.

Agree with sending him on like others have said but timing is key, if he's not
not understanding the basics or has no respect for you from the start, then he will despite you sending him on will just go round like an idiot...bucking, pulling you off your feet, turning in, kicking out or stopping and spinning round to change direction when ever it suits him, or throwing himself on the ground etc.

You'll get there, its finding how he ticks and patience.
Good luck.
 
How long have you been lunging him? what I mean is, is it something that is relatively new to him or at least with you and him?

If its a case that he knows what he's supposed to doing then doing plenty of ground work first before you ask him to lunge pays off, getting him a calm state of mind as well as listening to you. Such as walking correctly at you side, stopping, standing square and still, walking on straight away, backing up, moving to the side, all on your command.
Also using cones to walk him through on a short lunge so he's moving around you on a small circle but through the cones, this gives a horse like this something to focus on yet takes their mind off what they think your going to do...ie same old lunging which they have now associated with playing you up, 10 minutes of this every day will pay off even if you only lunge a few walk circles each way, finish on a good note before he acts up, so he learns that if he behaves, its not only can be an enjoyable experience but not a drawn out affair, yes he is only 4, short concentration spans an all but if you can work with him rather than against him, he will then start to listen and meet you half way.

Also some horses object to being lunged off the bit, even if you use those lunging clips or slip the line through and over the poll, if the mess about, you and the horse are just fighting against each other because their getting mixed messages through the mouth,
as well as getting jabbed and hauled about. Personally I much prefer to lunge just from a head piece, be it a cavason or a good head collar, after all your aiming for obedience not a battle of strength and control through the mouth, which in turn will preserve a nice soft mouth for ridden work which will be responsive from the lightest touch/aids and at 4 years of age is what ideally you should work towards.

Agree with sending him on like others have said but timing is key, if he's not
not understanding the basics or has no respect for you from the start, then he will despite you sending him on will just go round like an idiot...bucking, pulling you off your feet, turning in, kicking out or stopping and spinning round to change direction when ever it suits him, or throwing himself on the ground etc.

You'll get there, its finding how he ticks and patience.
Good luck.
 
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