Tips on teaching a baby big boy circles..

K

kerrileigh

Member
Joined
8 February 2013
Messages
28
Visit site
My rising 3 year old gelding had previously been lunged about 4 times in walk and trot with his older owners just to show hes trainable for them to sell him. Hes a very quick learner and I have lunged him twice only 5 minutes on each rein in walk and trot since I've had him. Hes slowly picking up how to do his 'big boy' circles but is still quite clingy, and does try and circle smaller if he can get away with it! Does anyone have any tips on how to keep him out when lunging? I have found that putting the whip in my left hand when lunging on the left rein (vice versa) has helped a bit because its nearer the front of him but this doesn't always work. Any tips? (He did his first ride and lead with my 12yr old gelding last weekend - who also has never led another horse and they were both foot perfect in the middle of open fields with those scary banger things that have replaced the old fashioned scarecrows and lots of other things that could potentially kill him.. so far so good)

Any tips would be appreciated :)
 
I wouldn't lunge a big young horse. Have you long reined him? I would introduce circles on 2 lines after long reining- you can keep the shoulder out easier!
 
Echo the above; if you want to work him I would be longreining him instead of lunging, off either a headcollar or cavesson initially.
 
I'm not a big fan of long reining, would much rather walk him out in hand or ride and lead with my ridden horse. I know people say lunging isn't a good idea but hes already quite mature mentally and physically. And I know plenty of horses who were lunged before being backed and are cracking horses with no problems.
 
I wouldn't lunge a rising three year old either, I taught my youngster to lunge this year, rising 4 and we still don't do very much lunging.

What is it about long reining you don't like?

I suppose you could lunge if you were happy enough to move about too and use the whole school, how about loose schooling instead?

Whatever you decide, lunging and in fact most groundwork is all about body language and timing. If he is clingy then I would spend time working in hand then gradually get further away, use a driving whip rather than a lunge whip to start with if he's too close and aim your body, walk towards and/or flick the whip towards whichever part of him is too close and just let him learn about being independent from you. Don't expect him to do too much too soon, learning new things is tiring for such a young horse.
 
Echo the above my lad is 3 he doesn't lunge he is mature for his age too and he does lots of long lining and walking out on slow hacks. To look at his you'd think he was four and mentally he's 25 but I still won't lunge him its more pressure than I think seeing a large horse trying to lunge. That may also might be why he is coming in towards u Maybe he is unbalanced and comes in because it's too hard for him at the moment ? Just a thought
 
Point the whip at his shoulder, prod him with it, or an alternative whip if lunge whip is too soft to be felt. Useful to get shoulders over for general manners anyway I find.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top