What do you do if....

NW1

NW1

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the horse you are lunging is having one of those slightly hyper days anyway (having already been for a hooley) suddenly decides to stop from trot, turn at you stand on her back legs (about 3 ft up in the air), land & turn her back end at you then really mean a big kick out in your direction & then naff off & run around the menage for a while as life is just too exciting.

to be honest it did scare me a little it was a bit too close for comfort & there was real agression directed at me.

Once i caught her started again but at some point every circuit there was REAL evils & teeth being shown, any 'encouragement' with whip & angry voice was met with more evils.

We got there in the end having some normal settled engaged trot work (& no evils) so called it a day but constantly in the back of my mind how close would she push 'testing me'.

& yes - back, teeth, saddle etc are fine, not problems elsewhere.

Any suggestions as to how to stop this behavious before it starts?

Am i just fretting over next time when this could have just been an off day?
 
Try again and see what happens, personally the moment they stop i get after them and send them on so that they cant kick out as easily.
 
A bit difficult to answer as my exact response would depend on the horse and its character. However, in my opinion the horse should be left in no doubt that that kind of behaviour is unacceptable and should on no account be able to think that it had won any ground by behaving like that.

I can normally make that clear by voice and sending the horse forwards until it does what I am saying (and if that means wall of death on the lunge for 15 minutes and a horse dripping with sweat before we get acceptable behaviour then so be it).

My other advice would be to ensure that you are wearing hat and gloves next time you lunge in case of repeat behaviour.
 
Cant offer much advice but am sure others will be able to advise, will watch with interest as my boy has started to do this a bit! He used to lunge lovely but now has started to put his ears back to show he is not happy, occasionally threatens to turn in on me but on these occasions I shake the line at him and step towards him which sends him out again he hasnt reared at me or kicked out though. I put his behaviour down to bad manners and not being happy being made to work, he can sometimes demonstrate this behaviour when ridden but I just keep asking quietly, occasionally growling his name at him which does stop him. Much of my issues I think are a bit self made, he does know his own strength and I was a bit soft with him (had a bad history etc!) so I do know I have partly made my own monster but am working on this by being insistent, rewarding good behaviour etc - not sure if you can relate to any of this but sounds like she is trying to dominate you. Also she may well be bored of lunging so maybe try some other stuff, also lots of groundwork and dont get mad :)
 
In all honesty, I this was one of mine, and there was aggression shown, it wouldn't have been allowed to get close enough to me to get too close for comfort.

My middle aged mare can be very dominant and on the lunge I am very quick with her. If she thinks about turning to face me she gets the lunge whip pointed at her and yes, she would get smacked (with lunge whip) and growled at if she came closer, aggressively.

As for the rearing and kicking, I would have done anything I needed to in order to send the horse away, but ideally, it shouldn't come to that as the horse will have been reprimanded for turning in or getting too close.

Very dangerous behaviour. Do you have someone very experienced who could lunge your horse for the next couple of times? Please take care and wear a hat and gloves which I'm sure you are doing anyway.
 
Also, wanted to add, if I sense my mare is in one of those moods, I will start lunging with the equi-ami (like a Pessoa) but on a loose setting, obviously. She can't do hoolies in this! On the bright side, she has got a lot better with age, never turns in now and hoolies are few and far between!
 
she is a real marish mare ( should be chestnut!) - on the flat takes real time to work in, she is still very green (novice 4 year old - but she is 6), she can produce nice work - if she's in the mood. I've only just got my hands on her (6 weeks or so) & this was the first time i lunged her, it seems to be anything i new i try with her she has this 'testing'. The last time was i dotted a few poles around the menage (to break tension when she anticipated changes of gate), this resulted in evasive behaviour (not rearing!) but resisting to the leg & lots of faces. Similarly after being quite firm with her and a few harsh smack/boots/shouts, she did seem to surcome to me. It just makes me cringe to ride like this & hoped i wouldnt have to do it again.

With the lunging i did contemplate two reins so if she does pull faces towards me i could correct it but if there is the potential of her being handy with her feet, its not worth messing around with.

I hope it wont happen again but i feel if i discuss this then i am more prepared & confident for next time.

I really appreciate al of your comments - thank you
 
Magnetic Sparrow said:
A bit difficult to answer as my exact response would depend on the horse and its character. However, in my opinion the horse should be left in no doubt that that kind of behaviour is unacceptable and should on no account be able to think that it had won any ground by behaving like that.

I can normally make that clear by voice and sending the horse forwards until it does what I am saying (and if that means wall of death on the lunge for 15 minutes and a horse dripping with sweat before we get acceptable behaviour then so be it).

My other advice would be to ensure that you are wearing hat and gloves next time you lunge in case of repeat behaviour.
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This. If they want to up the anti they'll get given more work.

I would not hesitate on backing it out of my space with a whip either. I wouldn't pick a fight, but if showing agression and getting too close, they would get warned under no uncertain terms to get back.
 
NW1 said:
she is a real marish mare ( should be chestnut!) - on the flat takes real time to work in, she is still very green (novice 4 year old - but she is 6), she can produce nice work - if she's in the mood. I've only just got my hands on her (6 weeks or so) & this was the first time i lunged her, it seems to be anything i new i try with her she has this 'testing'. The last time was i dotted a few poles around the menage (to break tension when she anticipated changes of gate), this resulted in evasive behaviour (not rearing!) but resisting to the leg & lots of faces. Similarly after being quite firm with her and a few harsh smack/boots/shouts, she did seem to surcome to me. It just makes me cringe to ride like this & hoped i wouldnt have to do it again.

With the lunging i did contemplate two reins so if she does pull faces towards me i could correct it but if there is the potential of her being handy with her feet, its not worth messing around with.

I hope it wont happen again but i feel if i discuss this then i am more prepared & confident for next time.

I really appreciate al of your comments - thank you
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If you've only had her that long then it'll be a whole lot of testing now! You let her walk over you and she'll persist. Nip it in the bud and she'll accept your boss. Won't necessarily stop her trying, but she'll be a lot worse if you aren't firm with her. Glad you're getting her listening to you.
 
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