damaging effects of single line lungeing

A

almonds

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Jul 21, 2009
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this is only on what ive gone through, but its pritty serious stuff really.im going to completely poo poo any single line lungeing as it nearly ruined my horse for real esp with added side reins-yuck.i followed a way of training with recomendations and eventually came across my own theory- as we all do but for me single line lungeing is something i will never do.because-

*pulls horse completely off balance

*horse goes round trying to balance its self only

*horse trips esp worse in deep areans

*makes horse stiff even if done both sides

*cavassons are just as bad

*risk of pulling at mouth if line attached to it

*the outcome and goal is nothing

*annoys the horse

*horrific with side reins

i would only ever lunge pen loose. or long line, but i cant at the mo as my horse hates it.but loose pen i can.which im lucky to have access to,.long lines can wait for a while.
im sure for some its been good, but its no way for us and tryed and tested.
 
I don't lunge i do what we call circling.

Max of 4 one way then change not endless boring pointless circles going no where. Try it, it is very boring.

I only use the halter or do it loose, if working correctly the horse tracks itself up.
 
I understand where your coming from but I'm concerned the definition of lunging i getting lost.


*pulls horse completely off balance

If done correctly the horse should never be pulled off balance, there should be no tension on the line

*horse goes round trying to balance its self only

It is great way of helping a horse learn its balance before adding extra weight of the rider. Horses dont necessarily know balance or rythm.

*horse trips esp worse in deep areans

I wouldnt ride in a deap arena let alone lunge in one, its very bad for tendons etc, working tight on deep going. And if your working the horse forward and up they shouldnt trip

*makes horse stiff even if done both sides

It can be used to help supple up a horse if done correctly.

*cavassons are just as bad

Cavessons CAN be bad, as with all equipment.

*risk of pulling at mouth if line attached to it

There should be no tension on line.

*the outcome and goal is nothing

If used correctly lunging is very useful. Voice comands and body language can be taught effectivly. The outcome and goal is a horse who is balanced, strengthened, has rythm, tracks up, works forward and off the forehand.

*annoys the horse

My horse loves lunging and works very hard to create the right outline and work effectivly. Believe me if she didnt like it we wouldnt do it, she wouldnt give me a choice. True lunging is not chasing a horse in circles. It is using voice comands and body language to effect the horses way of going, creating half halting and leg threw other techniques. To actually "school" the horse unridden.

*horrific with side reins

Not if used correclty. They shouldnt be over tightened to force an outline. They should be used to keep an even contact with the horse, help it to understand balance and to incourage the horse long and low. In time, when the horse knows about outline and can carry itself they can be tightened to add the effect of a riders contact.



As with anything lunging can be horrendous if used in the wrong way or for the wrong reason (not that im saying you have). It can improve a horses way of going ten fold, or it can ruin them for ever. Just one of those things.
 
I'm with Madaz Maddy as well, I can see how lunging can be very harmful done incorrectly and with ill fitting tack. I do hate using side reins, it's hard to be able to ask the horse to really use himself using just them. I use a pessoa, and it really helped with my old horse to supple him up in all gaits and we're seeing big improvements with Whisper too.
 
You shouldn't being pulling the horse off balance at any time unless you want to teach it to brace. I don't really lunge, I circle like Newforest, making sure that Maya is thinking about her body.

I also like to use a slight slope when circling every so often to help her balance and control.
 
Have to agree with the others... lunging is very benefical if done correctly.

My boy loves been lunged especially when he gets to canter or jump.

Id imagine One line lunging has been around quite a long time, all the Riding schools ive been to have done it so it cant be that bad?? :)
 
I partly agree with both.

I dislike lunging on the basis it is boring and repetitive - I hate running on a treadmill. A circular treadmill would be even worse. It can cause stiffness and problems with muscle development due to the bend.

I like lunging as it enables "easy" calory burning, it is very useful to aid responsiveness to voice commands. I also find it helps to remind madam that Im the bossy boots when she gets a bit big for her boots sometimes. That said, I don't lunge on a contact, in a bridle or tack. Only lunge in a headcollar and not aiming to work in an outline as she is very unbalanced anyway, she needs to sort her balance and bending out before I can contemplate her working in an outline.

I treat lunging more like free schooling on a rope as no enclosed space - field is too big!
 
I lunge in my horses' field so they have to look where they're going and pay attention to what's in front of them, not just me! I like to use a headcollar, tightened up slightly, and never use a bridle/bit. I don't have a smaller space fenced off so tend to concentrate on the flattest bits of the field. I rarely have them on a circle, either, I walk out with them so they have straighter lines mixed with the necessary cornering. That means by the time they've gone right round, my lunge "circles" are closer to being twenty metre squashed ovals if that makes any sense! No two the same :)
 
I like lunging. As long as you change the rein regularly, use the right tack, cool down/warm up properly and don't overdo it, I think it's fine

Horse never looks miserable - I dont even even need a whip. I use loads of transitions so he isnt just trotting round and round and round which I imagine might be q boring.

Plus you don't have to stay on a circle all the time - every so often I walk or run down the centre line so the horse can go straight(ish!) down the long sides.
 
There are pros and cons to every activity we carry out with our horses, and they all have the potential to be overdone or done badly. I don't think it's wise to completely dismiss or rule out anything in this way.
 
Agree with Madaz_Maddy too as I see benefits of it right before my very eyes.

Have a read of Klaus Schoneich's book "correct movement in horses" on amazon (you can read through a few pages). Have made a crooked horse much straighter and much more supple through his methods of lungeing.
 
I think you are dismissing a whole training tool on the basis of a bad experience of it. What you have described is bad lunging - it can be done well!

*pulls horse completely off balance

Why would you be pulling on the horse? If you lunge well, you can have an extremely light contact on the line.

*horse goes round trying to balance its self only

Only if the handler is inexperienced and does not know how to work the horse correctly on the lunge.

*horse trips esp worse in deep areans

No, not if the handler uses good lunging training to improve the horse's way of going.

*makes horse stiff even if done both sides

No, clearly you have not been using ANY gymnastic exercises on the lunge if this is the case!

*cavassons are just as bad

Why? A well made, well fitted, light leather cavesson is widely recognised in classical schools by the world's most expert trainers as a good training tool - what makes you think differently?

*risk of pulling at mouth if line attached to it

Of course, the lunge line should never be attached to the bit because of this risk.

*the outcome and goal is nothing

Is it? My outcome is a greatly improved horse - FACT. My goal is to continue lunge training to improve suppleness, balance, obedience and understanding of voice aids.

*annoys the horse

Does it?

*horrific with side reins

Yes, I am with you there. I don't like training aids.


I am very fortunate to have been trained to lunge by two ex-Cadre Noir trainers. Lunging is absolutely NOT about the handler standing in one spot with the horse whizzing around on a tight circle, pulling against the line. Correct, considered lunging involves teaching the horse firstly about obedience to the voice aids - he must walk/stop on command, then later trot/walk/stop on command. Then he learns to circle the handler calmly in walk and trot, with each circle being followed by a few steps on a straight line. Lunging on a constant circle is extremely stressful on a horse's joints, so circles should be interspersed with lots of straight lines. This of course involves more work for the handler! Eventually you progress to being able to trot and canter straight lines down the long side, keeping pace with your calm and obedient horse. You can do canter/halt/canter (apparently, lol! Not there yet!), trot/halt/trot, rein back, small circles, big circles, push the haunches over, do transitions between and within the paces, etc, etc, etc, all on a single line. Why is that harmful?!

The Spanish Riding School also regularly lunge their horses, who are well known for working at the very highest level well into their twenties, so it's obviously not that damaging when it's done well!

I think you have highlighted some very important issues with *bad* lunging, but not lunging per se. It is a very difficult skill to learn, when you do it properly.
 
jenb said:
It is a very difficult skill to learn, when you do it properly.
Click to expand...

I agree with most of what you say, but not this part. It is not a differcult skill to learn. Anyone can learn how to lunge corrctly with the right instructor. And that doesnt mean a world class one. I was taught by an AI, but i had it explained to me about what to look for, how the horse should and shouldnt move and how to effect that movement. Its not really about practice or anything like that, its taking time to watch a horse and really get to know how its moving.
 
I was referring to being able to do canter/rein back/canter transitions and things like that with absolute obedience on the end of a long line. That's great if you find the advanced work easy, lol!

It is easy to assess the gaits and learn to judge correct movement, but I know from experience of teaching others to lunge, that not everyone finds it easy to make quick decisions about what is going wrong with the horse's way of going and how to quickly correct it and work to improve the horse. There isn't one set programme of work which will improve every horse, lots of people find it hard to judge what is wrong with the horse in terms of engagement, suppleness, bend, obedience, relaxation etc and come up with a programme over several months to improve it. Most people can follow instructions about how to move around with the horse, do transitions etc, that's not what I meant ;)
 
I think lunging does have its place and it must be done correctly, but even ridden work just riding in straight lines with the wrong/ill fitting equipment can do as much damage.

I started off my youngster with some light lunging, sometimes she'd get excitable, kick up her heals and run forward until I got her out the habbit her being on the end of the lunge line was alot safer for me then we concentrated on long reining. But i''m not a fan of gadgets, so she literally had a snaffle bridle on and a saddle, no side reins/no training aids.

But I dont lunge any of mine now, not because I dont think its right but because I personally dont see how mine would benefit out of it, my youngster I can get straight on as she doesn't need lunging 1st and anything else I prefer to do whilst on their back.
 
I have no problem with lunging per se (do not like seeing side reins on to be honest) I lunge every so often but generally prefer to free school (Big Fella loves this) As I only lunge for exercise if I can't ride for some reason which is rare.

I do think it is excellent for learning to balance but find after wathcing so many horses being lunged they are on to smaller a circle to start with.

Trying to word this so I don't get a bad reaction please bare with me.... some poeple (not all) lunge there spooky/excitable/naughty? horse before every ride for about 20 minutes to me this is just getting your horse fitter over time and will make matter worse. As now you have a very fit Spook/Excitable/naughty horse
 
I think all the reasons you gave for poo pooing lungeing are indicative of bad lungeing - if done well it can be very beneficial.

I personally like lungeing (done well) - as someone else said, it burns calories. Also, if I don't have much time, I can work her more effectively on the lunge in a short session.

I only either lunge in a headcollar ( in which case she carries herself in an 'outline' by herself and tracks up without encouragement) or with 2 lines. We include lots of changes of rein, transitions and, if on 2 lines, lateral work and rein back.

At no point is she unbalanced or trying to find her balance, pulled over or having her mouth pulled. She actually works round the circle with no tension on the line at all..

lungeing her doesn't make her trip.

How do you know it annoys the horse? Tia seems to enjoy it.

And finally what is your goal or expected outcome from lungeing? i think this is a very generalised (and incorrect) statement. Maybe you are setting unrealistic goals? Lungeing has worked wonders for my horse - she has learnt to carry herself and use herself properly instead of relying on a rider to hold her up.
 
This is a very interesting thread. I circle Ziggy on a headcollar or rope halter and walk quite a lot myself as he goes around; I also trot a few paces when putting him into trot, as it helps him to get the idea!

I would really appreciate your guidance though on how to help him collect himself. He goes around with his head stuck in the air and I'd love to see him working longer and lower. I'd rather avoid artificial aids like pessoas if possible. Any ideas?
 
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