Problems with lunging

[VictoriaLouise]

Hi everyone, I’ve recently purchased a 14 year old 14.2 cob. I attempted lunging the other day and realised that I’m unable to start him off without another person leading him around me and getting him going, without another person all he seems to do is follow me around no matter what I try and do. Can anyone recommend something I could do and is this him just being stubborn or has he been taught the wrong way in the past, I hope this makes sense, thanks

 

[MissTyc]

How are you asking him to step away and circle you?
He might not have been taught at all (easy to teach) or he might have been taught "wrong" (annoying if you don't know what his signals are, but easy enough to remedy), or he might have a history of being badly lunged thus having already learned all the tricks of the trade (tricky) ...

I use two methods. Either I yield the hind legs away until the horse is walking on, then I let the line out until the desired length. I prefer this as gives a lovely natural bend through the body.

Or two lines will fix 99% of lunging problems, preferably starting in straight lines like long reins, then introducing the circle while maintaining outside contact. I find some horses might lean on the outside a bit in this scenario but it's easily monitored.

 

[Leandy]

Hard to advise without seeing what is going on. Are you experienced lunging? Generally though, if you are lunging, you should be positioned behind the horse's shoulder facing his hind quarters so your body language automatically sends him away and forward when you step towards him and follow that up with letting out the lunge line slowly and sending him forward with the whip. If you are lunging correctly, he shouldn't be able to follow you, you should be moving towards him and sending him away. He can only follow you if you are ahead of him or backing away from him, neither of which will result in effective lunging.

 

[Equi]

Are you inadvertently leading his head around rather than forcing him out? When I’m teaching to walk out I tend to be standing as far back as the quarters and use the whip to ask them to move their shoulders away from me cause if I focus on the bum they just spin their head to me. So some ground work first and have them walk on and stop with just normal leading eventually working your way to the end of the lead rope