What age to start lunging and how?

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_jetset_

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I have my two year old back now for a while (he has been living out) and from previous experience I know that if I don't keep his brain occupied when he is in more he ends up getting quite a handful. He seems to get tired quickly mentally, but definitely enjoys learning.

At what age do you start teaching them to gently lunge, and if so how do you do it?

He has had a roller on without any issues, has been bitted for the Futurity last year and starting again now...

Would really appreciate any advice or tips you may have for teaching them to lunge from the beginning.

Would you use loose side reins from an early stage?

He is 2 years and 5 months now.
 
i would like to no the answer to this as i have one the same age
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Depends on the youngster. We have a 2yr old Andalusian that is happily trotting about in a saddle with very loose side reins. But we had an almost 3yr old cobby that we just loose lunged, naked as he wasn't mentally ready to lunge properly.
We have a round pen that we lunge in.

ETS. We only lunge for a max of 5mins at a time.
 
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Depends on the youngster. We have a 2yr old Andalusian that is happily trotting about in a saddle with very loose side reins. But we had an almost 3yr old cobby that we just loose lunged, naked as he wasn't mentally ready to lunge properly.
We have a round pen that we lunge in.

ETS. We only lunge for a max of 5mins at a time.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is what I was planning to do... literally a few minutes of trot and mostly in walk around the arena as this is how I warm my two mares up on the lunge anyway. I don't really stick to circles
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Would you mind telling me how you started the lunging and got him working in a circle?
 
i taught our homebred 2yr old to lunge at 2 1/2, no side reins and absolutely dont ever lunge off the bit.
I either use a cavesson or parelli halter (which works really well and is my preferred choice)
Some need a 2nd person to walk round on the circle with them for a bit but ours had done plenty of in-hand work so she understood moving according to my body position.
We just quietly walked and trotted for 5mins at a time, no longer. That was enough to prepare her to be sat on after a couple of weeks and then she was turned away until 3.
 
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why not try long reining? Not going continually round in circles will be easier on his joints.

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I am not planning on circles, more getting him going around the arena.

I do not have anyone to help me so long lining is out at the moment. I did long line him today, but I need someone at his head to encourage him forwards (hubby was home this weekend so borrowed him).
 
[ QUOTE ]
i taught our homebred 2yr old to lunge at 2 1/2, no side reins and absolutely dont ever lunge off the bit.
I either use a cavesson or parelli halter (which works really well and is my preferred choice)
Some need a 2nd person to walk round on the circle with them for a bit but ours had done plenty of in-hand work so she understood moving according to my body position.
We just quietly walked and trotted for 5mins at a time, no longer. That was enough to prepare her to be sat on after a couple of weeks and then she was turned away until 3.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks Bossanova... that is really helpful. I was planning on doing it off the halter with the bit in but not attached to so good to know that I am in the right direction.

He is being in now for about a month and then they are going out again in the field probably until the end of summer so it is not going to be for a long period, just one month. Then when he comes back in (prob October time) I can pick up where we left off as we don't have much turnout here in the winter so would be nice to be able to do some gentle work with him on the lunge then along with free schooling etc.
 
With the Andy she just picked it up straight away. But the cobby we walked him round and slowly moved away from him sending him forward the whole time. It took him a while but he got there in the end. It is easier in the round pen as they tend to follow the fence.

As Boss has just said we don't lunge off the bit either they have a headcoller on under the bridle and we lunge off of that.
 
i would never lunge anything under 3years of age
because it does put very great strain on the tendons etc
try long reining or freeschooling
 
He gets quite silly free schooling, full out gallop to sudden stops at the gate or corners, so I am worried that this will affect him more so...
 
I got my instructor to teach my 3yo, and it was a good decision. I do a lot of groundwork with him and long-rein him myself. I found one of the useful aspects of getting my instructor to do it, was when I backed him he was used to her style of lunging and I just sat on!
 
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