Does everyone Lunge their horses?

[gypsydust]

I do on occasion...

I aim for once a week, but in reality it is less often (although sometimes it'll be twice in one week!)
I find lungeing a really valuable training tool. But my pony is fit, and easily able to cope with the work I ask of him. I keep sessions short to avoid stress and strain on his joints, and I use poles and jumps to add variety and keep him moving correctly. I also only walk and trot on the lunge - I'll occasionally let him canter to blow off some steam, but all the 'work' is done at walk and trot.
I'm a traditionalist in that I lunge with the full compliment of bridle, cavesson, side reins, although I use a roller not a saddle to allow his back free movement. Boots all round too, for protection.
I don't lunge before riding, I use lungeing as a training tool. I can get far better work from him on the lunge than I can under saddle - my groundwork skills are considerably better than my ridden ones! I also like to see how he is going, and notice all the little improvements we have made in the time I have had him.
Plus he enjoys it - particularly with poles!

 

[CarolineR]

I lunge for training purposes, varying the pace, size of circle, lunge down the straight side of the school, over trotting poles on each point of the circle I aim to have as much fun as possible with my boy whilst training him and keeping him alert.

There's quite a knack to lunging though and there is nothing worst than bad lunging. I invested in lunge lessons for me so I could understand how to do it without causing stress or discomfort. My Charlie enjoys the lunge and works well for me. .

We also lunge over jumps as charlie loves to jump, but I like all 4 feet on the ground and hate jumping. So he is happy and his work is varied by including jumping. I believe it improves balance and muscle tone.

As with all things its personal to you and your horse. All training of the horse should be varied and enjoyable for all concerned.

 

[Cheko]

I never lunge Falcon. I loose school or long rein.

 

[Evol_or_revert]

Iv been told everything from it's useless to it is great, just depends what you are aiming for with the horse.

I lunged charlie alot mostly because I was to scared to ride him, Lunging was to calm him down, get him working nice in each pace and then developing an outline, without me on him fubbling with the reins.

Also got my dad to lunge me on charlie so I know someone had a hold of him and i couldn't think about other things.

I will lunge nicky if I dont have much time, Want to check his paces and self carriage, to check and/or work him on something that im having problem with under saddle such as right canter leads, or to get him working in a steady outline without me moving around on top of him.

So normally it's training reasons that I will use it not for fitness work.

I do like lunging and will use sidereins as well, it's just another part of training horses and has been useful in many ways.

eg: Nicky was being naughty (think he was just excited) at a show, and I just get nervous and then upset with him. So instead I just lunged him 5 mins each way calmed him and myself down got back on and everything was fine. We both just needed that cool off time.

 

[aliw]

I mostly lunge in the winter when the ponies are only ridden at weekends because of the dark nights, I can get the steam out of them before anyone gets on!
Pepper and Bella are quite good at it, and I often lunge Pepper instead of riding.
I used to have a pony called Noddy and she just charged at you so you needed a whip with her!

 

[TBEventer2002]

I lunge only to exercise if I cannot ride for some reason (especially helpful if I don't have too much time). I find that if I have to lunge for more than 15 minutes at a time, I need to get on their back to figure it out/fix it (I don't beleive in lunging for hours on end!). I also do it if the horse I am riding is being a particularly huge a$$ -- there have been plenty of occassions where I am trying to work Rumby, we do canter departs, he bolts towards the other horses, I try again, over and over, back and forth we go till I am so frustrated that I am not helping him. To remind him that he really does have to pay attention to me, I have gotten off him and lunged him, then hopped back on and had a totally different horse who is forward, listening, and relaxed (if the horse isn't relaxed at the end of the lunging session, the handler has doe something wrong!).

I don't necessarily believe in lunging babies (though I do work in a large roundpen), I DO believe that it's important to teach the babies how to do it so that ground-driving can begin. I NEVER work a baby more than 10 minutes in the round pen or on the lunge! If that baby isn't doing what I want them to do within 10 minutes, I'm doing something wrong or the baby isn't ready!

 

[Tootsie4U]

Originally posted by Tim
Additionally, a horse should not be looked upon simply as a beast of burden, to carry us around at our convenience, we are responsible for the horses fitness, and lungeing is a good way of maintaining it. Tom had something to do for 20 minutes and was better for it, Silk also gets the lunge treatment and quite enjoys it I think. Lungeing is beneficial if it's done properly, and for the right reasons.

Good post Tim!