Would some horses just rather be ridden than lunged?

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smanf

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Those that have read my threads before will know that I had a bit of a crisis of confidence with my 6yo Anglo Arab whom I have owned since November. This was mainly as a result of him throwing quite a spectacular hissy fit whilst lunging one day.

Since then we have been making great progress, I took the bull by the horns and started riding him and have had two very successful dressage lessons.

The other day I forgot my stirrups and so decided to try lunging him with my new found confidence. He was ok for a bit, then had another hissy fit, bolting off round the school bucking, broncing etc. Once he calmed down, I (rather shakily) tried again and he started working quite well. But after about another 5 minutes went into one again.

This has served to wobble my confidence once more as am worried that he will do this when I am on his back (although he never has done yet!!) could it be that he just doesn't like being lunged and would rather be ridden? Anyone else had similar experiences?..
 
Some horse will prefer one to the other but you must be in control when lunging, have you ever had lunging lessons?

I think it is an important thing to be able to look at your horses way of going from the ground when lunging and I would persevere and find out what is setting him off on the ground (maybe get an experienced person to lunge him and watch you may spot something different?)

don't let it dash your confidence xx
 
Had horses for twenty years and can lunge quite proficiently (for an amateur! ;) ) I honestly can say, I don't think anything sets him off, it is just like "this is boring, I'm gonna be a prat"! He proper goes mental having worked quite nicely for a bit previously, I will try to separate the two (lunging and riding).
 
one of mine is a total prat on the lunge - it's like he realises there's no-one on his back and uses it as an excuse to have a bit of a yee-ha.
he's an angel under saddle though.
 
It could be he just doesn't like being lunged. Or doesn't see the point of it i.e. it's BORING! Interesting he's an anglo arab, I've owned my arab for 15 years and he's never taken to lunging in all that time. He'll grudgingly be ridden in the school (oh the face!!) but lunging is a big fat fail. He'll do two circuits, skid to a halt, peer down his royal nose at me with a look that says 'do I LOOK like a circus pony???' and shows his disgust by taking off at 200 mph, well, you get the picture...he's a dream to ride and is much happier going to on a nice long hack, and who am I to argue?

I've tried long lining him but to be honest neither of us enjoyed it very much although I had a bit of fun loose schooling him, which is something you could try.
 
If he was mine I'd stop lunging him. I find lunging a bit mind numbing, so I'd much rather ride anyway.

Mix up the dressage lessons/schooling with hacking.
 
Thanks guys, you have really reassured me. Yes, free schooled him quite a lot and did join up in the early months. Ill just try and banish the fears that's what he does on the lunge he will do with me on his back. Thanks again :D
 
Heck, he is an Anglo-Arab - he is smart enough to know when you're on top and when you're on the floor! (As well as what will get you from one place to the other!)

Seriously. I used to ride (and lunge, and free-school...) an Arab x (Arab with an Anglo way back in the family) and did find he had moments like this.

My OH's horse had a couple when he lunged her over poles the other day.

Neither would DREAM of doing anything to get us off. In fact when I didn't have great breaks and was learning to gallop the Arab in open fields I accidentally discovered that a sure-fire way to get him to come back to me was to put myself slightly off-balance as it was the one thing he'd reliably listen to. (Not that I didn't learn better ways - but needs must sometimes when doing something new!). Now, he could have been more concerned about his comfort than mine, but actually I don't think so. :-)

Can you have a few lessons out/hacks with experienced friends and try to enjoy him for what he is? Nothing wrong with dressage but it is all about finesse - and sometimes we need to enjoy the freer side of our animals too (unless they are turned out with others 24/7/365 in which case I wouldn't feel too bad.)

Good luck!
 
Tickles, thanks so much. That has really reassured me. Unfortunately the yard I am at has VERY limited hacking, although he is very good on the roads (not much fun for him though :( ) my friend and I have just bought a horsebox though so I am looking forward to taking him on a few adventures away from the yard. We have our dressage lessons and do our schooling in quite a large paddock (bigger than a school), as the horses hate the school anyway!! Will definitely bear your advice in mind as schooling is boring for me, let alone my horse!!
 
If you've free schooled alot it may explain the problem on the lunge, we have a youngster that was "professionally broken" and he won't lunge, it turns out they preferred to loose school and he consequently associated being in the school with being able to tear about.

If he's fine under saddle, I'd just get on and enjoy it. We don't lunge (although he will lunge with side reins if in a confined space like a lunge pen but currently only have fields to work in) he's taking quite well to long reins although its been a little bit of a struggle.
 
I think sometimes if they aren't sure what you want on the lunge they are fresh and break into canter and bronk etc also it's harder if they don't have the required fitness for the demands of the session. So naughty at start could be uncertain and good in middle is ok she wants this and naughty at end could be tired. Slow build up would be my tip but I have natives and oldies:)
 
Iconique, very fair point, I do think that perhaps he sees the school as a play pen. Gonna take everyone's advice and leave the lunging alone for a bit (if only for my own sanity!!) Am going to ride tomorrow and the weekend, get the little boy out :D
 
I don't think horses equate being silly on the lunge with being silly under saddle. Mine's a lamb on the lunge, but if I loose school him he'll go a bit crazy for a few minutes and race around bucking, he's never done anything like that under saddle!
 
Our Welsh B ( but looks and acts like a mini Arab, think there was quite a bit added at sometime) really hated being lunged while we were starting her and totally messed about. She was fine long- reining and a really good girl under saddle. She has never done anything nasty.

This has not changed! Perhaps she was picking up on my vibes as I have never been a fan either.
 
If you want to be good at lunging you have to practise. If he has been allowed to charge about in the school you could fence off one end, or loose school until he has calmed down a bit and then put the lunge rein on.

If lunging before riding I carry on until the horse drops its head and chews and snorts to show it's relaxed.

I wouldn't give up now, though I'd hope for an improvement in each session. It might take a couple of weeks of regular sessions to get a horse calm and obedient.
 
My point about lunging lessons still stands, people think nothing about getting taught to ride but won't when it comes to lunging because they have been doing it for ages etc etc

Getting another experienced person to lunge your horse in front of you can allow you to look at the situation differently or give you different tips to keep his interest and spot the bolting coming. I would humbly suggest if he is bogging off around the school while you are lunging you may not be as good at it as you think? (not trying to bash your confidence at all) I would want to get to the bottom of the behaviour and not just let him get away with it, if this was a riding issue would you just say 'ah well he obviously doesn't like riding I'll just lunge him'?
 
I think I could name at least 10 horses that are awful to lunge but good to ride. Often a fresh horse will have a buck and a squeal on the lunge but never dream of doing it ridden.
 
I bred a mare and she has always been dreadful to lunge in that she consistently pulls away and runs off. She was professionally backed by someone who tried lunging her twice then gave up and just got on her. Since then she has been fine ridden but the girl who backed her advised me not to bother lunging her even if she has had a few days off, and I haven't, I just get straight on. I lunge all my other horses no problem but I just wouldn't lunge this one for all the tea in China! If I think she might be a bit sharp or spooky I just make sure someone else is riding a sensible horse in the manege with me to reassure her.
 
My horse doesn't like or really understand the point of lunging, but since she understands and generally quite likes being ridden (well, she likes hacking especially) I know what I'd rather have!
 
My horse HATES being lunged. He's normally really forward going and he would never try to dump you when he's being ridden. But on the lunge it's another story, he has just clocked that unless he is lunged by someone really firm and strict with him he can try it on. Get some lunge lessons or someone confident to lunge him for a while until he's stopped being silly about it. Mine is fine to lunge now but only by someone who knows what they are doing and who is willing to be super strict with him! I reckon they just clock pretty quickly they can get away with being silly on the lunge, and they find it pretty boring! Good luck with it! :)
 
This is making me very nervous reading these posts.

My pony isn't backed and she's as nervous as hell about being touched further back than the neck. Catch her unawares and she jumps like a scalded cat.

However, she is superb on the lunge and I have no idea why, as because she's so good, it's utterly boring so I don't bother much. Prefer a nice walk.
She's so good that this last week or so, we have been having lunging sessions without a lunge line, in the middle of the field. Send her off and around she goes like a clockwork toy, different speeds, transitions, ect.

So is she going to be the one who proves the rule, good/bad on the lunge equals good/bad being ridden?:eek:
Gonna stop the lunging just in case.:D
 
Yes Moses....he is a lovely boy to ride and is the same whether you leave him 3 days or 3 weeks, has the odd spooky but nothing at all nasty. But on the lunge he is a total and utter Knobber!!! Squealing, charging around, bucking, ever decreasing circles etc etc, he is completely naughty!! So as he is now 11 and with probably never change we just don't lunge!! The last time we did it was for the physio to assess him and she was shocked at how naughty he was!!

My other lad though is an angel on the lunge!! But with Moses it is just as easy to tack up and ride and have a pleasant experience rather than sand skiing and hanging on for grim death!!
 
Are you saying you are only scared when yousee him ldo this on the lunge, incase he does it when you are riding him. Whilst lunging he is free, he is not carrying any weight on his back, so he will be more agile, but it is hard work to lunge and requires discipline and the horse is simply saying do i reallly have to do this, oh okay, then they submit.

You cannot be worried about falling off or horses bucking its what they do, and it will hold you back if you worry about the "what ifs". You could be knocked down by a bicycle when stepping out of your car. Learn to fall and roll, curl up in a ball, once you have mastered that you will do it automatically when you fall off and it doesnt hurt then, instead of being thrown off like a sack of potatoes and landing heavy, then it does hurt and injuries are more likely.

Put a mattress on the ground in the garden and start by sitting on a chair and falling on to the mattress, whilst practising your curling up into a ball, then keep going higher, step ladder etc. its actually great fun.
 
gala said:
It could be he just doesn't like being lunged. Or doesn't see the point of it i.e. it's BORING! Interesting he's an anglo arab, I've owned my arab for 15 years and he's never taken to lunging in all that time. He'll grudgingly be ridden in the school (oh the face!!) but lunging is a big fat fail. He'll do two circuits, skid to a halt, peer down his royal nose at me with a look that says 'do I LOOK like a circus pony???' and shows his disgust by taking off at 200 mph, well, you get the picture...he's a dream to ride and is much happier going to on a nice long hack, and who am I to argue?

I've tried long lining him but to be honest neither of us enjoyed it very much although I had a bit of fun loose schooling him, which is something you could try.
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OMG...thats is so my arab. That look.....its withering:o
 
Putasocinit, yes, seeing him go divvy on the lunge worries me that he might do the same with me on his back one day, although he hasn't shown any intent toward this when being ridden. Yes, sometimes he is spooky and jumpy, but I can handle this and the prospect of falling off through a whoopsidaisy moment doesn't worry me as much. It is just that I haven't fallen off for 12 years so it does scare me. Probably the sooner I have an off the better cos then at least it is out of the way. I am not a nervous rider, but tend to worry about it when I am not at the yard. You are absolutely right, we are quite capable of hurting ourselves through doing the stupidest of things. Thanks for your advice, I have found this thread very helpful :)
 
smanf said:
Thanks guys, you have really reassured me. Yes, free schooled him quite a lot and did join up in the early months. Ill just try and banish the fears that's what he does on the lunge he will do with me on his back. Thanks again :D
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I lunge my police horse sometimes and he goes absolutely berserk!!!!!! I mean seriously nuts!!!! He is 17.3hh:eek: However he will walk around Trafalgar Square like a lamb:)
He knows lunge time is prat about time!!!! He lets off steam then he is brill. It's just keeping a positive and trying to relax, easier said than done I know;)
 
PC Steele, are you in the met? I was working in Trafalgar Square for a while so may have seen you about. I know the city police pretty well as I used to keep my old boy in the royal parks stockyard where they have their training / holiday home
 
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