Training the eventer through winter .... lunging question

C

CateMMH

Active Member
Joined
3 January 2008
Messages
43
www.manage-my-horse.com
ok need to buy a lunging kit for 5 year old who is very interested in what everyone else is doing around him whilst being lunged and hence not entire working properly. Working his fitness but not his muscles properly and rather than develop any bad habits my trainer hs suggested lunging in either a roller and side reins or some other kit .. pessoa etc.

Can anyone give me some recommendations before I spend a fortune on something that I haven't researched properly
ooo.gif
.

This horse is particularly well produced and working really really well it's just he's new to us and too eager to go play so I need to get his attention as, for time, he has to have a lunge once a week a moment.

Many thanks for any suggestions.

p.s. if anyone says don't lunge in gimmicks that's fine any help with encouraging him to listen to me properly will be greatly appreciated too.
 
I don't think you could go wrong with a pessoa to be honest
smile.gif
Very useful and easy to use
smile.gif
You just need to introduce it slowly and not overdo it!

ETS: I know nothing about eventers so maybe that is a bad suggestion! But it's comparable to lunging so I would think it would be ok.
 
I lunge in side-reins and i suppose i count as an eventer! I just keep it simple - have heard mixed reviews on pessoas but as my girl has no problems with muscle build up etc I just find the side reins quite easy to relax her into a contact
smile.gif
The kits sounds really interesting though and I like Claire's attitude to things.
 
Would definitely recommend a pessoa! Just dont over do it, and dont make it to tight
smile.gif


You could start off with some side reins
smile.gif
cheaper lol. Ive pessoa'd so many horses and i still always get knotted if i dont take it off carefully
grin.gif
think its something to do with me being male
tongue.gif
 
I will bear that in mind Jason. LOL

I think I'm going to go and delete my profile info as I'm beginning to think I'm the odd one out! I shouldn't be so nosey I guess
crazy.gif


I knew I would end up being on here all hours too!LOL
 
Nah you should stay, there some right numpties on here wouldn't like to drop names though (Super_Kat, Tinkerbee, Shilarsdair
tongue.gif
im gonna get slaughtered for this
tongue.gif
)

Welcome to the forum stick around but you wont leave ill tell you that now the addiction will take over
grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Nah you should stay, there some right numpties on here wouldn't like to drop names though (Super_Kat, Tinkerbee, Shilarsdair
tongue.gif
im gonna get slaughtered for this
tongue.gif
)

Welcome to the forum stick around but you wont leave ill tell you that now the addiction will take over
grin.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

OI

mad.gif
mad.gif


tongue.gif


dont think I dont stalk your every move young man, cos I do
tongue.gif
 
I got my pessoa off ebay. It's exactly the same thing, but without the brand so it was about £50 cheaper! I also have a youngster that sounds similar to yours(!) and he has gone fantasically well in it. Is there someone on your yard that has one? Maybe you could borrow it for a session to see how he goes in it?
 
Pessoa's are good if fitted correctly, but also favour bungee's as they dont hold onto the horses mouth and just encourage the correct way of going
smile.gif
Cheap too!!!
 
We also have an eventer who is much more interested in what's going on around him
smirk.gif
and he has been lunged a lot! I alternate what I lunge him in but it is always with a roller and with either side reins or the Pessoa. I do like him to have a warm up without anything on though as it does teach them to balance themselves and not be so reliant on the gadgets.
smile.gif
 
Mine are all at home with my
smile.gif
so when I need something I have to go and buy one
shocked.gif
. Which is fine but I've lost count of the number of things I've bought and ended up selling on ebay! (like brand new!
grin.gif
). As my friends say your loss is there gain.
 
I used to lunge with side reins or a chambon until equine physio asked me to stop - she felt it was building up uneven muscles and not actually making him work better.

She suggested using 2 stable bandages to make a loop round his neck then a loop round his back legs (above hocks) to "tickle" him and remind his back legs are there without conecting anything to his mouth so he cannot lean.

Its worked for me and I definately feel an improvement when I ride - we just lunged like this for 15 mins a day for a week and when I got back on he felt about 2 inches bigger. I know it seems faddy but I honestly think its made a difference.

With regards to his attention span make sure you vary the work his does on the lunge a lot - let him warm up and have a few "boogly" circuits then start work. You can shorten/lengthen the line to make him spiral in and out/introduce shortening and lengthening within each pace/lots of transitions/pole work......sorry if I am "teaching you to suck eggs" but I find all of these help concentration as well as helping them work.

Also the more you lunge the more familiar it will get and he'll eventually get bored of what others are doing!
 
With my easily distracted youngster, I use lungeing drawreins losely so that they only come into effect when she goes 'ooh what's that over there!' and throws her head up. I also give the lungeline a little shake to get her attention phyisically if she isn't listening, along with the usual millions of transitions and poles and stuff. Poles really help actually as they have to concentrate.

Randomly, I find she is more attentive when I free-school her. Because it was more like a game, she plays with me and becomes really engaged/alert to my bodylanguage. We do poles and small jumps and lots of changes of direction and halts which she seems to think is hillarious!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I used to lunge with side reins or a chambon until equine physio asked me to stop - she felt it was building up uneven muscles and not actually making him work better.

She suggested using 2 stable bandages to make a loop round his neck then a loop round his back legs (above hocks) to "tickle" him and remind his back legs are there without conecting anything to his mouth so he cannot lean.

Its worked for me and I definately feel an improvement when I ride - we just lunged like this for 15 mins a day for a week and when I got back on he felt about 2 inches bigger. I know it seems faddy but I honestly think its made a difference.



[/ QUOTE ]

Is that like the set up that's in Feb's Your Horse mag? I've only glanced at the article but there's a photo of a horse being lunged and long reined in something similiar I think.
 
Pessoa pessoa pessoa all the way - it encourages the horse to work correctly from behind - where as side reins just encourage the horse to lean on the forehand xxx
 
I love using the passoa. I actually made mine myself (coping a friends). I got the pullies, rope and bungy cord from a boat shop and used an old flease girth tube. All cost about £10 max!!
 
I think I am going to go against the majority on here but my opinion on pessoa is in line with the article on here:
http://www.sustainabledressage.com/tack/gadgets.php

I used to have a mega inquisitive young stallion who just had to look at every mare and everything in general and I lunged him on two lunge lines, alternating in between long reining and going onto the circle to keep him busyas well as not to overdo circle work.

Also, chambon is my favourite gadget ever which I do use a lot and I do notice improvement in every horse lunged in it (as well as the physio).
 
I have to agree with Sapphire Girl, I am not a fan of the pessoa either, they do seem to have become very fashionable, although this could just be an illusion.

I have found the best thing for lunging is a chambon it really encourages the correct way of going but does not force the issue.
 
Just seen this on herefordequestrian.co.uk in the classified:- 1 x full size ‘Pessoa’ training aid.

Occasional use for 6 months only, and in excellent condition. Cost £80.00 new will accept £40.00
 
wow this is an interesting site it has to be said! Thanks for this. I just bought a pessoa by the way LOL. Where I was when you must have left your post
crazy.gif


oh well will have to see how we go on now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top