New horse rearing on lunge

Snowy Celandine

Snowy Celandine

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I've had my new horse for about 8 weeks and have lunged him 4 times. The first time he seemed confused about what was expected and was very lazy. The second time he was a bit better but still quite lazy. The third time he bunny hopped at the start of the session and spun round before I had time to stop him, but worked nicely afterwards. I lunged him for the fourth time last night and he reared full height and spun. Afterwards he worked fine with no laziness at all. I was lungeing without side reins when he bunny hopped and with them when he reared.

So where am I going wrong? I am not a professional but have lunged my other horse every couple of weeks for the past three years and also had a couple of lessons on how to lunge from my trainer. My other horse is great to lunge and I can actually get her trotting and cantering round me without a lunge line when I loose school. A few years ago I used to have a horse who liked to rear on the lunge, but he was nasty with it and would also try to spin and kick out. My new horse just seems to be testing me but is not trying to seriously bog off since I can stop him quite easily if he spins and get him working properly.
 
TBH he sounds confused/scared. I wouldn't be lunging him in any gadgets (inc. side reins) until he is consistently relaxed, knows what to do and will work long and low for you in just a head collar. Is there someone who can lunge/walk around the circle leading him while you do the other part? Might be reassuring to be being asked to do something he (presumably) understands and is happy with (being lead) and then gradually work up to him lunging 'properly' once he is secure that nothing bad or confusing happens.
 
Thank you Tickles. I don't actually think he is scared because he quickly settles in to working well after his initial 'outburst'. I think your suggestion about getting someone to walk at his head at the start of the session is very good though and I will try to rope someone in next time I lunge him.

He hadn't done a lot of work when I got him and he is a lot more relaxed in the school than he was at first but will still spook at small noises or anyone passing by the school if he hasn't seen them from a little distance away. I only used the side reins because I thought they would give me more control if he decided to spin or bolt. I didn't have them on very tight and I won't even think about using a pessoa (if I ever do decide to go down that route) until he is going well without any other gadgets.
 
My horse used to rear everytime I lunged her, once so high she lost her balance and fell over backwards. I used to lunge her about once a week when she was like this, so thought that more practise was needed, so started to lunge her everyday. She was no better and I really didn't know what to do, so I tried every other day, and she was a lot better. I think that she did need more lunging, but also needed a break to let it all sink in. Once I figured that out she started to lunge a lot better and was more relaxed, still had a few moments when she would stop and turn and completely ignore me, but after a while she started to work and became a dream to lunge :) Maybe your horse just needs to be lunged more reguarly and get to know you a bit more?
 
Thank you ToniTot. I think practise may make perfect and it is still early days with the new horse. He has settled in well in every other respect, loves his hacking and schools quite nicely, so maybe, once we get to know each other better he will start to accept, if not enjoy, his lungeing sessions too :)

bad girl - to my shame, I don't know how how to long rein, although I am sure that one of my more experienced friends would be happy to show me. I will ask :p
 
I too had a similar problem with me last horse, only he would turn in a rear at me :(. i had to abandon it, not surprisingly. my advice, fwiw, is to get an experienced friend to do a few sessions, or even an instructor, cos the last thing you need is for it to become a regular thing.

I've had a few problems lunging my baby, and the help of my YO has been invaluable - she takes no s*** !! I have learnt so much from her in just a few short sesions.

Just a thought - is his back ok, and are the circles big enough for his joints ?

Hope you get it sorted. sm xx
 
It could be he's not had much lungeing in the past or may I dare suggest not what you and I would call proper lungeing .
I have a 4 year old welsh sec d, I started lungeing him early this spring and at the time pleasantly surprised, how well he caught on (I bought him at 2) and he had been shown as a youngster. Till he started doing what yours has, he has only two gears, slow walk or very fast trot. Did ask the girl I bought him from and she said they had lunged at shows to take the edge off slightly. So he and I are taking things a lot more slower, so he actually understands the commands I say.
 
I had a horse that would rear on the lunge, so I taught him a cue to rear. Once he had that off pat I stopped giving him the cue, he didn't rear unless he was asked to after that.

Arab though, twice round either way and he was bored, I don't think that I've ever had an arab that didn't get bored lunging. They seem to think "Yes, I know how to go in a circle, why should I?"

OP, plenty of advice from other posters.
 
enfys that is brilliant!
I know an Arab who would only be interested lunging if there were jumps/things to spook at or he was allowed to go so fast he fell over! (I only saw that happen once!) Free-schooling, espec. over jumps, was *much more fun* :-)
 
Celandine said:
I've had my new horse for about 8 weeks and have lunged him 4 times. The first time he seemed confused about what was expected and was very lazy. The second time he was a bit better but still quite lazy. The third time he bunny hopped at the start of the session and spun round before I had time to stop him, but worked nicely afterwards. I lunged him for the fourth time last night and he reared full height and spun. Afterwards he worked fine with no laziness at all. I was lungeing without side reins when he bunny hopped and with them when he reared.

So where am I going wrong?
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It sounds to me like you are moving too fast with him. If he seemed confused the first time, was only a bit better the second time, and bunny hopped and spun round the third time, I can't imagine why you'd use side reins the fourth time. It can be quite dangerous to lunge in them if the horse is not fully at ease with lungeing.

What are you trying to accomplish with lungeing? It can be a useful tool but I think too often people lunge just for the sake of lungeing without a clear goal in mind. Are you trying to build topline? Are you trying to take the edge off before a ride? Are you simply trying to teach him to lunge? Something else? It's important to have a purpose and lunge accordingly.

At any rate, I would not use side reins or anything else until he is working well on the lunge and responding with understanding to your cues. I agree that having a helper walk with him will help him understand what you want.
 
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