WHAT KIT FOR LUNGEING?

[Bert&Maud]

I always lunged my old horse in bridle and lunge cavesson, and usually Pessoa or bungee. I've now got a new very green but honest 5 year old (actually he's nearly 6 but started late!) so I'm interested to find out what kit others use for lungeing young horses. If you lunge off the bridle which way to you attach the lunge line? Why do you use the kit that you do?

 

[Seahorse]

I lunge off the bridle with the lunge line clipped to the inside bit ring.
I use a roller and draw reins, sometimes side reins. I have a rising 6 yr old.

 

[SFeventers]

I always lunge using a saddle and bridle (lunge line through the inside bit ring, over the poll and clipping to the outside ring). I have never found a lunge cavesson to be as effective and I use the saddle as I'm either lunging a youngster (gets them used to the feel of the saddle moving etc.) or I'm lunging to take the edge off before riding. I dont use side reins very often but am a big fan of the Elastic Training Aid Elastic Training Aid. Hope that helps!

 

[lucemoose]

When Im lunging I prefer to lunge with a bridle + cavesson as sometimes when you have the rein through the bit rings it influences them through that and Id prefer not to be winging it around a circle off its mouth!
Tend to use half a bridle, no noseband. Love my pessoa but also side reins and will also fit then from the bit inbetween the legs like a harbridge.
Have got a de gogue which I can use as is or softer as a chambon.
My main reasons for lunging are for my own horse to develop his backebd so mainly pessoa and lots of raised poles. For project pony its to help develop her mouth and balance, so more side reins and lots of transitions.

 

[kerilli]

Oh gosh, i hate lungeing, and hardly ever do it. i'd much rather be in the saddle and feeling/influencing the horse.
i lunge youngsters before backing, in just a cavesson at first, then roller, then saddle, then bridle, with an inside side rein loose, to get them used to the feel of inside bend and contact. then, a bit later, outside side rein looser than inside, obv.
other than that, i don't lunge. if told to by a back person, i guess i'd lunge in a chambon to encourage stretch, but never any other gadget, and most particularly NEVER EVER a flipping horrible pessoa device!
when lungeing on the bridle, i put the lunge line through inside bit ring, over top of horse's head, and then either to outside bit ring, or through outside bit ring and back to clip on inside one. i never just clip it to the inside one, i think that's horrible, pulling the bit through their mouth if they tank off a bit.
i can't stand lungeing over jumps either, no matter how fast i run, i can't let them run more than 3 strides after landing before they have to turn in sharply, and my spurt to get with them usually makes them scoot to the fence... horrible. i'd much rather do the baby-jump stuff in the plate!

 

[Evil_Cookie]

I lunge on my mares day off, I use a roller, a pessoa and take two lunge reins out with me. Lunge her in her bridle and don't need a whip. I attatch my lunge line like SFeventers. Clipped on the outside bit ring, over the poll and through the inside bit ring.

I don't particullarly like the pessoas action, and prefer to clip it on and then tie up the bit clips and attatch them to the roller, so there's no action on the front end, just the strap under the tail. This works for ruby as she needs encouragement to get her hind legs under her, but if you use a whip or too many voice commands she just rushes. I find the pessoa when used properly is just too restrictive on her, when she can hold an outline fine on her own.

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

I lunge in a bridle and caverson with a bowling line (draw reins running from bit, up between legs and over the back). Not a fan of the pessoa and find this works better for my hrose.

With youngsters, before backing, I lunge them off the bridle but put a headcollar on underneath and attach the lunge line to the bit AND the headcollar (on the little metal buckle things on the noseband bit of the headcollar). I find this reduces the pressure of the line on the mouth of the horse and you have a much lower chance of making a baby mouth sore even if the horse is strong and playing up.

Once backed, I would lunge in full tack with side reins or the bowling line.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

My lad is lunged in bridle, lungeline passing through the bit ring, up over the poll & clips on the opposite bit ring. He's normally in a roller, sometimes with side reins but mostly without as he carries himself well.

 

[KatB]

I lunge off a bridle with a bungee line clipped on the girth of his dressage saddle, threaded through the rings of his bit and secured above his poll. Also occasionally use a pessoa with a roller

 

[shuz7]

I have a 3 year old mare. I use the bridle and saddle. Sometimes I use 2 lines or 1 line and a lunging whip. If she starts turning in, I then use the side reins.

Hope this helps

 

[Cop-Pop]

I lunge from the bridle with a roller and some side reins. Sometimes I use two lunge lines and sometimes I run a bandage behind

 

[Tierra]

With a lunging cavesson

Using a bridle for lunging can be disasterous on a sensitive mouth; well fair enough, it can be disasterous on any mouth.

When lunging from a snaffle, or indeed any bit, you will potentially either start to pull the bit through the mouth or exert a nutcracker effect on the mouth. Equally should the horse be over excited and run, you're instantly snatching against the mouth and will ruin its long term sensitivity.

With a cavesson, you can get more control by lowering it sligtly (although obviously it should never interfere with the breathing), or softer control by raising it. If the horse is over excited, you have control through pressure on his nose rather than on his mouth. This is the ideal for horses that are then continuing onto ridden work as no accidental damage can be caused or early fear of bits causing pain.

I dont use a saddle or roller once they're older as i dont use any supplementary reins or gadgets and i much prefer to see how the horse is moving without any interference.

 

[Janetterose]

I'm using a roller, pessoa and bridle with 2 lunge reins - it makes it much more like a riders reins and stops him turning head in. My boy is only 5 and never worked before in a lunge - responding well and starting to develop lovely outline.