What do you do when your horse runs off on the lunge?

[[59668]]

Hi

I have a question that I'm hoping you can help with.

Sometimes, and only sometimes, my mare runs off on the lunge.

Like last night for example, she worked lovely on one rein, no running off, and then when we changed rein she started cantering round and round.

What should I do when she does this? I've added a poll.

she's lunged in a bridle with the lunge rein over her head and clipped to the other side of the bit. She doesn't always do this, and it's not always on the same rein.

THanks

 

[Angua2]

At least yours just runs around, when mine runs off on the lunge she really does and I spend the next 5 minutes trying to recatch her

 

[annret]

I have lunged off a headcollar, cavesson, bridle, bridle & cavesson but generally lunge as you do, before getting on.

My girl can be really excellent and do nothing at all, but sometimes is a little sh*t and I hang on, tug sharply downwards several times while shouting 'HOI!' at her so she knows I'm not happy. Then I'll lunge the socks off her till she's got anything else out of her. Sometimes if it's the area that's setting her off then I'll switch to another quiter area in another of the schools.

She's got very much better and the majority of times lunges like a lamb, and I'm slowly lungeing her in busier/more distracting environments if i think she's in a good mood and it's helping things better.

Good luck & persevere!

 

[stencilface]

Mine needs a few mins of hooning before he does any proper work, so although I do try and slow him using my voice body language it generally doesn't work. I will make him come in towards me if he looks like he might injure himself though.

He also likes to have a good buck or ten when he is first on the lunge

After he is bored I then do everything I wanted to do in the first place, with maybe less canter if he had a particularly long hoon. He is very responsive to my voice when he listens, just not when he wants to have play time

 

[Silverspring]

Run them into a wall.

 

[Cyberchick]

It would depend how old they were. My horse knows how to lunge properly so i'm not exactly teaching him anything as such so if he runs around I let him then I get him working again when he's finished but if it was a younger horse and I was teaching him something then I would perhaps do it differently.

 

[Cliqmo]

Mine is only 4yrs and he has done it a few times. I calmly stop him asap, give him a pat and start again, he does seem to be learning that it doesn't get him anywhere

 

[Gooby]

Ive had a couple that do this. Generally I push them on until they want to stop then make them keep going for a few more laps then start again at what they were meant to be doing. When i had my lad reschooled the trainer told me to just attach the lunge rein straight to the bit then if they do start pratting about you can give them a good tug and get them listening to you again. Hope you find something that works for you

 

[scribble]

I think the textbook answer is you are supposed to gradually make the circle smaller and smaller and they will stop then continue your work. however if it is at the start of the session or poss you have just switched reins i was told to le t them have a silly 5 mins until they stop then carry on otherwise you are fighting a losing battle esp with youngsters.

 

[tasel]

Mine does that from time to time... much less in recent weeks. When she tries running off, I just hold on to her - whatever happens, if it's not too dangerous, hold on as otherwise, if you have to recatch them, they'll see it as a little "victory" (at least mine would!) and try it again. Because mine knows she can no longer "win" she doesn't really do it anymore.

When she just runs and runs around out of excitement, I will speak to her calmly, but normally let her out of steam - she needs to improve on her canter work anyway!!!

 

[OrangeEmpire]

I use the lungeline to halfhalt in a 'listen to me' way, while calmly asking for the downwards transition. Seems to work. i then do a series of transitions in quick sucsession to get them focused.

I only send them on if they're being disrespectful to me, then I get all assertive!

i lunge in a bridle with line passed behind the ears or a head collar depending on my mood.

 

[henryhorn]

To be honest it depends how they run off!
If it's high spirits I tend to ignore it and just wait until they settle, if it's as an evasion I shorten the circle up until it's impossible for them to keep charging round, and if necessary give a hard pull to make them stop.
Get someone to watch your own body language, it's possible you may be giving her unintentional signals to move faster.
For one that does it a lot I use two reins and long rein them in a circle instead.
Basic lunging I use the lunge line over the browband to the inside rein.

 

[ironhorse]

Mine is allowed a little squeak and hooly on the lunge but that's it..I lunge in a cavesson and bridle and if she continues to be rude a couple of sharp tugs on the lunge line pulls her up. Making the circle smaller would be pointless as she can canter a 5m circle! Then send her back out and make her trot on actively.
Until recently my mare was always lunged in a round pen (school surface was unsuitable) so at our new yard lunging in a large school was a great excuse to mess about, but a few weeks of 'nasty mother' has worked wonders!

 

[Chico Mio]

Cry. My lad is useless on one end of the lunge and I'm useless on the other. He is used to round penning at liberty and we are fine when we can do that. He will go through all his paces, change direction and be good as gold. I just have to stand there and use my voice and body language and he will do anything I ask. Put him on a lunge line and he's an absolute hooligan and drags me all over the place. Unfortunately I no longer have access to a round pen so we will have to persevere - or I'll build another one!

 

[Tnavas]

Lunge off the centre ring on the cavesson, Have side reins attached to bit. Give the lunge line a few strong sharp tugs, if she doesn't slow down then start making the circle smaller and smaller until she can't keep cantering.

Start again in walk - re establish commands and control and then build from there.

I never lunge off the bridle as it alters the action of the bit and encourages resistances. Also the worry of breaking the horses jaw if they tread on the lunge line during the great escape!

I have had one horse that I could only lunge off two reins, he was just a bolshy s**t and would spin round. The I did lunge off the bridle but had rein going through a ring on the roller or stirrups when saddled.

Many years ago a friend of mine had one that would run away at every opportunity - so he hammered a tall metal post into the ground. looped the end of the lungeline over it so that when she got really strong she couldn't get away. Certainly made lunging easier!