sandi_84
Well-Known Member
Ok so I got Loki in, gave him a good brush to get the worst of the mud off - it was caked all up his face and everything, he'd obviously had a good ole roll in the muddiest bit. Hippo? I think so! - and took him into the school.
My sisters cavesson didn't fit and I didn't have access to his bridle so I had to make do with his headcollar which is too loose for lunging, but since I was just going to see how he got on with me flapping the lunge line about and try to walk him on a circle a few times I thought I'd just give it a go.
So I got him to stand and flapped a length of the end of the lunge line up and down on either side of him, first few times he threw his head up a bit and then he stopped being bothered enough to check out the poo someone had left behind
Then I tried throwing a length of it over his neck, back, bum and sort of sliding it over his back legs. I don't think he even noticed tbh, he just stood there like a perfect gentleman and let me get on with it
I walked him around a bit and got him to stand and walk with my voice (stand sometimes took a few goes but he was getting it) and by that point I was feeling pretty confident that he wouldn't try anything silly so I "pushed him out" and started him walking on a gradually increasing circle. He was great, he wasn't exactly going in a proper circle but thats ok as this was his very first lungeing experience and I just wanted him to start moving around me a bit. He was pretty interested on what was going on around him so I kept loosing his focus but calling his name and a small elastic pull brought his head back in again and he was walking nicely forward and stretching his neck out and down and did it on both reins. He got lots of fuss when he got it right and lots of stroking in between "scary" bits like flapping the lunge line about and he even got a share of my mum's horse's carrots at the end.
So all in all I feel quite proud that he took it all in his stride, what a brilliant lad!
My sisters cavesson didn't fit and I didn't have access to his bridle so I had to make do with his headcollar which is too loose for lunging, but since I was just going to see how he got on with me flapping the lunge line about and try to walk him on a circle a few times I thought I'd just give it a go.
So I got him to stand and flapped a length of the end of the lunge line up and down on either side of him, first few times he threw his head up a bit and then he stopped being bothered enough to check out the poo someone had left behind
Then I tried throwing a length of it over his neck, back, bum and sort of sliding it over his back legs. I don't think he even noticed tbh, he just stood there like a perfect gentleman and let me get on with it I walked him around a bit and got him to stand and walk with my voice (stand sometimes took a few goes but he was getting it) and by that point I was feeling pretty confident that he wouldn't try anything silly so I "pushed him out" and started him walking on a gradually increasing circle. He was great, he wasn't exactly going in a proper circle but thats ok as this was his very first lungeing experience and I just wanted him to start moving around me a bit. He was pretty interested on what was going on around him so I kept loosing his focus but calling his name and a small elastic pull brought his head back in again and he was walking nicely forward and stretching his neck out and down and did it on both reins. He got lots of fuss when he got it right and lots of stroking in between "scary" bits like flapping the lunge line about and he even got a share of my mum's horse's carrots at the end.
So all in all I feel quite proud that he took it all in his stride, what a brilliant lad!