Pony starting lungeing from scratch - tips?

[p87]

Hi all,

I have recently bought a Shetland pony who I would like to eventually pull a cart.

As far as I know she has never been lunged before and I'm wondering if anyone can give me some pointers so I don't get it wrong. Years ago I broke a few horses to pull a cart for a woman I knew, but she was a bit mad, and although we got the end result nothing was done correctly and there were a lot of accidents along the way! We also didn't lunge them first, just jumped straight into long reining.

Anyway, we had a go today just to see what she would do, and bless her she was so good and really tried!
I started off just leading her round the school while gradually getting further away from her, when she would fall in I'd put the end of the whip on her shoulder and say 'out' and towards the end of the session I wasn't having to touch her with the stick, just pointing it and saying 'out' and she understood.

At first she alternated between standing still and looking at me with a bewildered look on her face, and speeding round the school while I tried not to be taken with her (I'd forgotten how strong shetties are!) But in amongst all that she did some correct transitions between stand-walk-trot and back down again. With the odd sprint thrown in for good measure

I'm not sure if I was cheating by watching her to see when she was about to go up or down a pace and then voicing the command, as she doesn't seem to know voice commands and I thought this way she might learn to associate it?

Any help would be much appreciated, as I would hate to mess the basics up. Are there any good books anyone could maybe recommend?

I must add (before the usual suspects jump down my throat!) I do know how to lunge and lunge my horse regularly, I've just never lunged a 3 year old from scratch before. I'm also at a private stables where there are no instructors, I'm mostly on my own, hence why I'm asking you helpful lot for advice

 

[Honey08]

You're doing all the right things.

 

[rascal]

Just started lunging my baby, no school though so if he takes it into his head to leave mummy standing it could be interesting! Well hes not a baby really at 5 but still very immature so we are waiting for him to grow up a bit.
Sounds like you have al the right ideas. Teaching her the voice commands in hand will give her an idea of what your talking about.

 

[p87]

Thank you both! I take her out dog walking with me to help keep her weight off, as my son isn't old enough to ride her to any extent yet, he is 3 as well, and I practice the voice commands while we are out and about. She seems to be a fast learner, very keen to please.

Rascal that sounds like fun! I'm very lucky to have an indoor school, but will be walking/lungeing/long reining her etc wherever possible to get her used to as much as I can.

 

[Orchardbeck]

Very interested in this thread, am just about to start doing the same with my mini Shettie; only thing is, she is 12! My parents have a herd of 10 (used to be more) and she has been with them since a yearling but has never really had any handling other than for farrier so is a bit tricky to catch, but is proving to be a bit of a sweetie, she whinnies at me now when I go and see her and she has started to walk up to the fence to see me. About 6 years or so ago we had her yoked up to the tiny trap and she was a superstar (like you OP, loads of mistakes along the way!) not sure what we were thinking! But she was fine so I'm confident with a bit of handling and some time she will make a lovely pony for my daughters to be led about on, she is really quiet otherwise. Ready for the lunging to begin!