New horse rearing and bucking on lunge. Please help.

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myhorsefred

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Hi all,

Can I have a bit of help please? I'll be brief, coz I'm prone to waffling!

New horse is dangerous on the lunge. Bucking, massive rearing, then nice work, even stretching down, then more bucking and rearing. Does it with tack on and no tack. Also does it for my trainer, so I know its not just me.

Dealer assures me she will not do this when ridden, just hates being lunged.

My question is, do any of you have horses who are complete looneybins on the lunge, but good to ride? i am worried that her 'disposition' is to be naughty/dangerous under saddle as well.

thank you
 
My mare will buck and plunge all over the place when lungeing and has been known to rear and dance on the spot when she's not been out for a while! After a while she uses up the excess energy and chills out but she always has a buck on the lunge in her first canter then shes fine. I put it down to her being young and inexperienced with her transitions, and plus its just all too exciting! :D

Does your horse do it all the way through or just the beginning?
 
Similar to above. My friend has a gelding who could be a right twit on the lunge. He'd turn in and rear- not so much now though, he's getting older and wiser.. However, under saddle he always was the sweetest horse and would never get on as he did on the lunge.
 
I have known many horses that are not nice to lunge and are perfectly normal ans safe when ridden. Lungeing is not always done properly when they are young and once ridden may never be lunged again, why dont you try riding and leave the lungeing as it will cause more stress and worry if the horse is that bad.
 
Thanks everyone. i have been worrying that she is a fruitloop ridden as well. and I'm not a brave rider.

be positive - yes, I agree. i decided not to lunge anymore as I don't want to encourage that behaviour.

I've never had a horse that was dangerous to lunge before. And I generally hardly ever lunge either, i prefer to ride to exercise the horse rather than lunge. And it makes me dizzy anyway.

thanks again.
 
Ethel used to be quite naughty on the lunge, as soon as she was sent out she'd canter flat out bucking. Then when I'd finally get her to slow down she'd stop, turn in and if I tried to send her back out she'd rear and box out at me, one day she threw a proper daddy and reared so high she threw herself over backwards. She didn't hurt herself but she really shocked herself and from that day on she's been pretty much perfect to lunge :p Occasionally she'll be a bit of a tit and just ignores me or canters round with her head down throwing her front legs out looking like she should be bucking but she isn't :)
 
My boy broncs on the lunge and takes off squealing at 100mph - then he settles down and behaves. :D

Fortunately, he never ever does it under saddle (I would have fallen off and probably never had the nerve to get back on :o )
 
Alfie&Milo said:
My mare will buck and plunge all over the place when lungeing and has been known to rear and dance on the spot when she's not been out for a while! After a while she uses up the excess energy and chills out but she always has a buck on the lunge in her first canter then shes fine. I put it down to her being young and inexperienced with her transitions, and plus its just all too exciting! :D

Does your horse do it all the way through or just the beginning?
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I have one of those too... :D

The minute he warms up and gets a bit excitable on the lunge he bunny hops, throws some bucks etc - especially when first going into canter... I always lunge in leather gloves now for a reason... :D

He's also young (rising 5) and still bounces around in the field like a foal when he's got his 'play with me someone' head on... Much to the distinct lack of amusement of the others who are more interested in feeding their faces...
 
Mine did this a couple of times when single line lungeing then I switched to 2 lines and he has hasn't bucked since....touch wood....
 
newbie_nix said:
Mine did this a couple of times when single line lungeing then I switched to 2 lines and he has hasn't bucked since....touch wood....
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How do you do this?

I lunge normally in a halter (unless son is onboard having a lesson) or the doo dah that looks like a halter but has a ring on the top of the nose... Sorry, I'm having a fuzzy brained CRAFT (Can't Remember a Flipping Thing) moment tonight and the name escapes me...
 
Ah a fellow CRAFT sufferer ;)
Do you mean a Cavesson? Tried that with mine too and he hated it.

I like the Monty Roberts method using a dually halter. I use a roller and the lines go through the lower ring but I believe you can also saddle up, tie down stirrups and thread the line through those instead.

First you need to get the horse used to having a line around its hocks. I did this by putting the roller on and tying a long bandage to one of the lower rings, letting it drape over his bum and back legs (I would alter the length so he got used to it in different positions) and attaching on other side then turned him out into one of our yards. He seemed a bit confused about the thing touching his hocks but soon got used to it.

The method I use is along these lines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfRuzU3xnfo

which shows 2 different line positions - I tend to use the one at the end with the outside line running behind the hocks. Not my vid, just a random one I found.

I think the idea behind long lining is it gives more control and stops the horse fighting a single point of contact and leaning outwards which can cause stress on the body. Having 2 lines gives me more control of my youngster and it feels more balanced.

I don't always go round in circles, I also use the same set up for ground driving him and going for walks around the block. I am not an expert and I'm sure others will give you some great advice but this is just what worked for my boy.
 
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Both my current horse and my last horse used to be a bit nutty on the lunge for a while but PERFECTLY safe and good when ridden.
Current lad was the worst but I kept on at him until he eventually settled, now he is a good as gold, loose side reins helped A LOT. some of his problem was balance and confidence

However there is nothing wrong in choosing not to lunge your horse.

My friends horse was even worse and in the end she chose to learn her to lunge with a rider on instead, this worked really well too
 
Lots of horses are nutty on the lunge, it means nothing about how they will be ridden, don't worry!!!

Harry used to go loopy once in a while, one time he managed to fall over (with no help from me!), Freddy is a nutcase on the lunge, I just make sure I wear a hat and gloves and use the whip to keep his flying hooves well away from my face. Cakey, who is a saint with everything else, pins his ears right back on the lunge and turns his back end inwards. He is the only one I don't lunge as I think he's had a really bad experience in the past (I tried for about a year to overcome it with no success and gave up).
 
Yep, Millie can be absolutely wild on the lunge and really has only vaguely settled down to it in the last few months (she is now 8).

When I was breaking her in I thought I would be sky rocketed when I got on but she was crazy to lunge and extremely sensible to ride, and after a week of breaking I dropped the lunging as it wasn't benefitting either of us.
 
My horse is a loon on the lunge and he is coming up 17! I've tried every method, other people lunging him including my instructor and he just loves a bit of a buck then tank round at 100 mph! The majority of the time he then calms down producing some nice work. He did have an issue with the schooling whip. To stop this, I lunged him without it for a while using a lead rope to swish him on, then progressing to a dressage whip which was a lot better and this gradual build up seemed to help his hate of the schooling whip.
 
As others have said, there are indeed horses that can be really out of order on the lunge but be fine to ride. If you're not going to lunge then it doesn't really matter UNLESS you're going to have an image in your mind of the same thing happening when you're on board that makes you nervous.
 
If you get the same result when the horse is under saddle then I would start to worry, but allow your horse it's personality and push it through the naughtyness on the lunge. I personally wouldn't worry. My mare does it all the time!
 
All of ours buck on the lunge, I much prefer them to get it out without a rider on board.

Our 'best' horse (weight carrier that is happy totake novices all day everyday or go in jumping lessons and have a bash at whatever you ask him) is the worst lunger I have ever seen. He snaps cavessons and has snapped a bridle when lunging. I dodge lunging him at all costs. Put a rider on and he is the sweetest most genuine horse you could ever wish to sit on!
 
Mine isnt a loon as per say but he does just switch on his go button and things been lunged is a race... All he wants to do is canter on the lunge and he'll go on forever! So unless he been particularly fresh to ride then I don't really lunge him.
 
Mine does this sometimes, bucks, rears, turns in and then will go off at a gallop if he so feels like it. Doesn't do it all the time but I lunge in a bridle which seems to help and ignore his sillyness. He's fab to ride and never does the same under saddle :)

Good luck - it maybe his/her way of telling you they hate lunging?
 
Dee O'Dorant said:
As others have said, there are indeed horses that can be really out of order on the lunge but be fine to ride. If you're not going to lunge then it doesn't really matter UNLESS you're going to have an image in your mind of the same thing happening when you're on board that makes you nervous.
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Thanks everyone for your replies.

Dee O'Dorant - yes, I have now the image of this horse in my mind and its making me nervous to get on her! I'm sure she won't do it under saddle (she was fine with my trainer on) but I'm worried she will pick up on my nerves and will rear or buck with me. I wish I was a braver rider.

My trainer is coming tomorrow and we will try a little hack in company. I have a gorgeous bombproof cob who I will ride, he is also her field buddy, so new horse will feel safe with him.

I'm not going to lunge her anymore as she hates it, and it is knocking my confidence, so I will just persevere with riding her and getting my confidence up.

It is so odd as she is the sweetest, gentle horse in every way apart from lunging. Great to lead, groom, never explodes in the field etc. I can only think that she must have had a bad experience being lunged when she was younger.

Anyway, thanks for all your replies. Sorry to be such a wuss. It seems there are quite a few horses out there who are similar on the lunge, but good as gold to ride.

thank you.
 
If a horse needs to let off steam, I think it's better to let them do this on the lunge before getting on board rather than riding a horse with a tense back. Once they have settled and stretch down, then its usually safe to get on! The you do not get the issues of being ditched!!
 
My friend has a horse that is now 26. She bought her as a foal. She is a nutcase on the lung and would not dream of behaving like that under saddle. My old horse would go crazy in the field, rearing, bucking, leaping around, things I never experienced under saddle in 10 years of owning her.
 
Kali can be "ahem" challenging when first lunged - particularly when asked to canter for the first time - but then he settles down and is truly obliging - and he can also be a complete twit when first turned out - bucking, plunging, farting, etc. However, he pretty much NEVER does this under saddle.

I suspect your horse will be just fine under saddle. If the behaviour on the lunge worries you, don't lunge before you get on - but do have someone on the ground to help you get on and stay until you're sure you're alright.

Good luck!

P
 
My sisters old pony used to do all that then come in and boot you one then run off and start all over again......in the end we just rode him he was fine with that.
Xxx
 
Captain has his "funny two minutes" when he starts on the lunge, rearing, bucking and broncing like a rodeo horse, then settles and lunges beautifully.He just needs those 2 minutes to get his rocks off and start to concentrate. Maybe your friend's horse is the same. That said he is careful never to do it near us, he does it before the lunge line is adjusted and signalling that it is time to work.
FDC
 
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