Cant ride today- tips for lunging a brat!

Harlequin32

Active Member
Feb 20, 2008
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I cant ride today due to work etc but really need to do something with my horse. I have only tried to lunge him once and it was pretty awful so thought tonight i might have another go.
He kept tearing off and refused to keep on a circle and just generally going mad!- he was in a bridle but nothing else. I am going to try in full tack with side reins to see if a contact settles him a bit.
Any ideas to get him going calmly- I dont expect him to actually get much out of this session but would like to be able to lunge him to help with keeping him fit over winter.
 
Hey, yes that would be best but there is no-one to help unfortunatly. Its a very small yard and my friend is working tonight The only other people left to get their horse schooled but they were scared of my lovely horse and helping lunge him would really put them off:D
 
Thanks, Not sure if i would keep hold of him in a headcollar, where would you fix the lunge line to? would you pass the line through one side-( by where the bit would be) then up over his head behind ears over clip on the other side? as if lunging off a bridle?
 
how about long reining him on the circle??? you will have more control and he may get the general idea of what you want
 
I would love to long rein him, but havent done it for so many years i am a bit reluctant to try I think it may go all wrong with him being so green- Also gorgeous as he is his back legs have a mind of their own:eek:
Any one LOVE doing this sort of thing? you are very welcome to come and have a go- I wont even charge you!!!!:D
 
give it a go. have the longlines attaced to bit. and through the stirrups, start of in a straight line, keep your position to oneside of him so you dont get near the back legs, do some turns, changes of rein etc. your not know if you cna do it if you dont try.

if he goes into mad mode, pull him round on the inside rein so you can stop him.

if he doesnt like the rein around hes quarters make the stirrups really short... by twisting the leathers round the irons. short enough that you can have the outside rein going over the saddle...
 
Ditto the long reining.

Joy was a brat when I tried lunging again - I know she does lunge so no excuse.

I found that she just wanted to tear round like a loon. I would keep the circles smaller and increase the size when she was listening to me and obeying commands. If she got a bit loopy again then I would reduce the size of the circle so she was VERY aware of my body language and more receptive.
 
Joy was a brat when I tried lunging again - I know she does lunge so no excuse.
I found that she just wanted to tear round like a loon. I would keep the circles smaller and increase the size when she was listening to me and obeying commands. If she got a bit loopy again then I would reduce the size of the circle so she was VERY aware of my body language and more receptive.
Ditto that!
Willow definitely knows what she's meant to do and on good days she'll w/t/c on both reins and pop over cavaletti. If she's in an i-don't-wanna mood though she can be a pig, especially if the other pones take advantage of our lack of any enclosed area and try to join in :rolleyes:

How much space do you have? On days when she's being bratty I tend to start at the bottom of the field and lunge her back to the top, that way its much easier to keep her moving in the right direction without whizzing off, and we're not fighting over keeping on a circle in the same spot. Next step is to get another line and turn that into long reining!
 
I think mine takes the cake for being a brat :rolleyes:

one side - perfect

other side, he'll go so far, then when he passes the 'exit point' ie a gate or whatever, he'll slow, stop and spin his arse out and stare at you. I've gotten that frustrated now, I'm trying to locate a RI who has a round yard and will give me a few lunge lessons :rolleyes:

Teeth, back etc are all fine so I have no idea why he does it.
 
Forest is silly on the lunge. I let him go to get it out of his system, I don't say anything to him though. Once I can see he is starting to slow I ask him fowards a bit more and then ask him to come back to a trot and then a walk and start working.
Every time I ask him for a canter he bombs off so I ask for trot and if he refuses then I make the circle smaller so he has no choice but to trot to gain balance.
I think if you know your horse you should be able to work out how to make them stop.:p
 
give it a go. have the longlines attaced to bit. and through the stirrups, start of in a straight line, keep your position to oneside of him so you dont get near the back legs, do some turns, changes of rein etc. your not know if you cna do it if you dont try.

if he goes into mad mode, pull him round on the inside rein so you can stop him.

if he doesnt like the rein around hes quarters make the stirrups really short... by twisting the leathers round the irons. short enough that you can have the outside rein going over the saddle...

That's a recipe for disaster for a person who has already said she's unsure of her ability to do that, and that her horse is green, and that he may not be that safe behind.

You make no mention of what she should do if it does go pear shaped; how to send him on safely; how to control him if he "goes into mad mode".

What exactly does that entail?

I just find that a bit off the cuff to be good advice, jaydevon, and not up to your usual standard.

Harlequin32.........you would do well to master the art of lungeing a green horse off a cavesson or a training halter, as you run the risk of spoiling his mouth lungeing him off the bridle, particularly as he seems to have no idea how to do it. If he takes fright or runs off you have no means of stopping him other than by hauling on his mouth.

There is quite a bit of preparation to do, in fairness to the horse, which will help to get you both off to a good start on long-reining (which, in my opinion, should be done with a cavesson first, too).

He would need to be prepared for the feel of the reins about his body and around his haunches, as you are better to long rein a green horse with the reins low in order to prevent him swinging his quarters out and turning round.

If you learn to lunge him, you can progress to double rein lungeing, and then into long reining proper. That way you'll be more sure of his intentions with his back feet and, if he wants to try a kick, you can step out to the side of him, out of the kick zone, and drive him on; he will be quite happy with you there as he's seen it before.

I would always advise using a roller rather than a saddle, as it's easy for stirrups to move around and they may, under stress, come away from the saddle; the roller gives a more stable fixing for the reins, and allows for different positions for the reins as the horse progresses.

I posted recently in the Driving section on this subject, so I won't say more here.

If you want to be successful in long reining your horse, do it properly and give him a chance to enjoy it.

:)
 
My new horse tested me on the lunge today, I have been taught if they start coming in to lightly wiggle the lunge rein at them point the whip at the shoulder and say out, most get it. If they're going to fast keep the whip low to the ground, squeeze the lungeline like a sponge giving and taking while steadying up in your voice and asking for the transition, it's the only way to really do it unfortunatly.

My DI told me if they are walking and refuse to stand walk them towards the fence in a straight line until they reach it and stand just time your words right ;)
 
im very sorry... was on my way out! it was ment to give the person some confidence in her own abilities, if the horse became uncontrollable using the inside rein to bring the horse in and to a halt... sorry your right, was rushed..
 
back off old lady..... i have no respect for my elders! :D MODS.... shes being nasty can we ban her pretty please....
 
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