Unbalanced on the lunge

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CobsGalore

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My horse is extremely unbalanced on the lunge and I am unsure what I should lunge him in to help him improve?

Pessoa? Side reins? Nothing? Thoughts please.

At the moment I am using loose(ish) side reins but someone said he might start leaning on them?

eta: I lunge 1 or 2 times a week, but need to do this on top of riding to help keep his weight down.
 
What size circuits are you asking him to do compared to what he's happy with when ridden?
 
CobsGalore said:
I try and make the circle as big as possible and walk around the circle to make it bigger, 20m+ I would have thought
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That's too big and I doubt you are giving a consistent contact in this way.

When first introducing lungeing it is a good idea to go large but once the aids are established, you ought to be working within the 20m circle with a consistent contact working the horse into it from behind. Easier to do if you are not having to walk a big circle yourself. You can even vary the diameter as you work to encourage balance. Coming in to 10m then out to 20m again is just like working circles/spirals when riding and you can do transitions easily as you have more influence when you use your body language.

If you still feel that there is very little self-carriage by the the horse, time to get a roller and lunge using two-lines so that you can effectively ask for an appropriate bend on the inside but you will be supporting on the outside to keep the horse "straight" and not dropping the inside shoulder.

You can do this with the cavesson or or a bit. The advantage is now you can change reins whilst still in trot even which helps with balance and if you are feeling even more adventurous, you can even start lateral work in a small area on the straight sides doing some shoulder in which is fantastic for balance and you will not be adding your own weight to the equation.

Have fun :)
 
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tallyho! said:
That's too big and I doubt you are giving a consistent contact in this way.

When first introducing lungeing it is a good idea to go large but once the aids are established, you ought to be working within the 20m circle with a consistent contact working the horse into it from behind. Easier to do if you are not having to walk a big circle yourself.

If you still feel that there is very little self-carriage by the the horse, time to get a roller and lunge using two-lines so that you can effectively ask for an appropriate bend on the inside but you will be supporting on the outside to keep the horse "straight" and not dropping the inside shoulder.

You can do this with the cavesson or or a bit. The advantage is now you can change reins whilst still in trot even which helps with balance and if you are feeling even more adventurous, you can even start lateral work in a small area on the straight sides doing some shoulder in which is fantastic for balance and you will not be adding your own weight to the equation.

Have fun :)
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Thank you :)

So initially you would just use a bridle and keep a consistent contact on the line?
 
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I dont get the smirking smiley? sometimes it isn't possible to ride each day. Some days I'm wrecked from long shifts and can't face it. Sometimes there isn't time. I share my saddle, so if the other person is using it at the same time I just lunge. There's loads of reasons why lunging is easier sometimes, I don't get the sarcasm about it.
 
paddi22 said:
I dont get the smirking smiley? sometimes it isn't possible to ride each day. Some days I'm wrecked from long shifts and can't face it. Sometimes there isn't time. I share my saddle, so if the other person is using it at the same time I just lunge. There's loads of reasons why lunging is easier sometimes, I don't get the sarcasm about it.
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Me neither.

I wasn't asking how can I ride everyday. I was asking how I can lunge him in a way that won't hinder the progress we are making in our ridden work.
 
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CobsGalore said:
Me neither.

I wasn't asking how can I ride everyday. I was asking how I can lunge him in a way that won't hinder the progress we are making in our ridden work.
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You said nothing about the progress of ridden work. You said you were lunging on top of riding to help keep his weight down. I simply made a response based on that. If you want a fit, slim horse - ride it rather than lunge it.

You responded saying you couldn't ride every day and added a little smirking smiley - so I simply gave you one back.
 
Are you lunging on a good surface? I am hampered by having to lunge in a rough field, which really prevents me from doing much & can unbalance the horse. A good surface does make all the difference.
There are so many recommended lunging techniques, but I tend to use a bridle, no reins, with a cavesson on top & lunge rein on the middle ring. I hate the lunge rein attached to the bit - personal preference I suppose.
I think you can do most of the things on a lunge which you would do when schooling, so spiralling in and out, getting horse to step across and under it's body, lengthening and shortening trot and walk & lots of transitions.
All of this should help & can be done with no kit at all.
When I use reins etc. I tend to use the draw rein set up which has been discussed on here ad nauseam It does get them stretching & is quite strenuous.
 
Thanks siennamum, I do lunge in the field but it is a good flat area to work on. We do lots of transitions, lengthening and shortening strides etc, but will give spiralling in and out a go. Thank you :)

I tried the draw rein method a few times, but he put his head so low I thought he was going to step on the reins - is there I can do to stop this from happening?
 
CobsGalore said:
Thank you :)

So initially you would just use a bridle and keep a consistent contact on the line?
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Well you could but I wouldn't use a bridle until you have some balance there. Do you have a cavesson?

The reason I use a cavesson first is that when lunging on a circle, the best place from which to 'lead' the horse is at the front of his nose as you can influence his balance much more efficiently while he is moving as you will be at the very tip of the centrifugal forces. From here you can better use his energy and he can't lean on anything or evade very easily.

But you don't have to. So, if you continue using the bridle, yes, keep a consistent contact. Best way is from your hand through inside bit ring, over poll and to outside bit ring.

Keep your transitions long to begin with, then shorten them so e.g. walk a circle:trot a circle 10x.... walk a half-cirlce:trot half circle 10x... walk quarter:trot quarter circle 10x and repeat on other rein. You can then do this over a 20m circle and 15m circle the next time. No longer than 10mins each way.

Don't introduce canter until you get consistency in walk and trot and you have good balance on both reins. Then you do trot-canter and eventually walk-canter. It'll take you a few months to get there properly but it'll be worth it! All the muscles will have developed in the right order.
 
CobsGalore said:
Thanks siennamum, I do lunge in the field but it is a good flat area to work on. We do lots of transitions, lengthening and shortening strides etc, but will give spiralling in and out a go. Thank you :)
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Do you have a hill in the field, as I do move mine up & down a slight incline on the lunge as well, it's really good for getting them working up the hill, then rebalancing & sittting a bit coming down the hill.
 
Some very useful advice, thanks Tallyho!

Siennamum - we have a slight hill in one of our fields, but it is being rested at the moment and the long yummy grass is too much of a distraction for him!
 
CobsGalore said:
Some very useful advice, thanks Tallyho!

Siennamum - we have a slight hill in one of our fields, but it is being rested at the moment and the long yummy grass is too much of a distraction for him!
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No worries. I love lunging. It's so rewarding. :)
 
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