Help- lunging!

Nicnac

New Member
Jan 2, 2008
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Devon
Hi everyone

I wasn't sure whether to post this in the Training of the Rider or Horse sections?! I think its a combination of both Tia and I really.

I have been lunging Tia for a few weeks in readiness for her to be ridden again. I am a lunging novice, having had a few lunging lessons with a RI last year. Tia seems to have issues in her downwards transitions from trot to walk. I am slowing my voice, keeping it downbeat, if that makes sense, and trying my best to do exactly what everyone told me, but she still has problems. She also doesn't stop but goes round and round, slowing down, then eventually comes to a standstill, but I'm not sure whether she's listening to me or whether its because she gets bored.

Can anyone help or recommend a good DVD/Video clip to watch? She is a bright horse, so I am a bit surprised that we are having so many problems, although clearly it could be because I am rubbish! I've even tried walking her round the school and telling her to 'stand' or 'whoa' which she does but I think that's because she sees me stop and has good manners!!!
 
This is probably not the correct thing to do, but... if she is not listening, reel her in whilst walking towards her at the same time. She will suddenly notice the difference and as soon as she does, ask her again, firmly, what you want her to do. She should do it then! If not, keep reeling her in until she has to stop, let her pause, make her walk on as if nothing is abnormal. Let her walk outwards again, and carry on. See if that makes a difference :)
 
I don't know if this will work as my lunging is a mix of lunging and longlining - tbh not sure I do lunging the correct way.

But to bring Izzy down to walk I really slow down my body language as well as a really low 'waaaaaaaalllllllllllllkkkkkkkk' voice command. I tend to walk around more than the traditional lunging so I slow down and really exaggerate my slow walk, almost dragging. Sounds really odd, but I just mean an exaggerated, very slow movement of my arms and legs.

My problem with lunging is to get Izzy to go out on his left rein - he's a right bugger!:confused:
 
Hi guys

LC - I've tried that too, and it does work to a point although she then walks round in really small circles! I know what you mean though, I'm not sure if its the right thing to do, I think you're meant to keep them out in a wider circle, but I'm only guessing with that really.

Tiga - I've also tried your voice and body language methods - but only lunging though. I was recommended to look at her back legs, drop my shoulder and relax my body so that she realises that she should stop - but still to no avail! Maybe I should try longreining and see what happens with that? Will see if I can get someone to show me what to do (as have never done it before). Absolutely no idea about how to get your horse to go off on his right rein I'm afraid :eek: Is that his worst rein? Just wondered if he feels uncomfortable or a bit stiff on that rein maybe?

Well, I'll be doing some more lunging tomorrow, so will see I guess, but thanks for your thoughts...I think she thinks that she has to carry on moving to 'please me' as she often trots off when I begin, rather than walking, bless her. She does try hard, at least I guess! :)
 
can you section school in half and 'free ' lunge? Ie use lunge whip to send her forwards, and then block her forwards by sticking my arms at 90degrees, one across front of her and one parallel to body and use voice. Yu may find she changes direction, but ive found it much easier to lunge off the line.
 
NicNac - tbh I think he has just been being a pain. I haven't lunged him for a while as I do more long reining. I have more control with two lines. Before he used to come in when I brought him down to walk with one line. He would just walk right into me and would be difficult to send out again.

With two lines I can stop him coming in and he knows he can't walk where he wants.

I had a few long lining lessons from my YO which were very helpful.

Good luck!
 
Echoing what Tiga said . . . if I lunge Kali from a single line he has two speeds - canter and trot . . . I suspect he doesn't like walking as much b/c he finds it harder to give me a decent walk - if I get him to walk at all he'll do one circuit and then turn in to me. I find I have much more control if I lunge him off two lines and we combine that with long-reining. I also have greater control and can get him to stretch down into a contact (we use a bridle) rather than hooning around being nosey ;)

I also use my voice alot and, having experimented a bit, have found that he responds very well to "steeeaaaaaaaady" to slow him down in a particular gait - it's probably what his former owner used with him (we've only had him 6 weeks or so).

Hope that helps.

N
 
I do pretty much a combination of what others have said I say "sttttteeeeeeeaaaaddddyyyy" in a low voice and quieten down all my body language, although to be honest downward/upwards transitions with milo are quite good, our only issue is stand, I end up having to pull him in slowly until he stands.

That said I do often struggle to get a good active walk on the lunge and whilst we can longline all over the hills, he just doesn't understand lunging with two reins, tends to freak him out a bit!
 
thanks guys, I've never used two reins to lunge, or long rein, so might ask a RI to show me what to do, will try the 'steady' command, I too use my voice a lot to try and see what works, I do use 'steaadddy trot' to get her into a working trot from extended so she might pick up on that...my RI lunged her in the week, so I'm hoping she might have picked something up there, but will see I guess!
 
Glad I read this thread - I am never sure if I'm getting it quite right with Storm - we're doing quite a lot of lunging atm, mainly due to me trying to get her a bit fitter, plus time is an issue atm. Have to say, I think the more I do, the better its getting! I do some of the things mentioned on here - and one of the things I did find was when wanting her to come back to a slower pace, steadying her with voice commands as well, I found just not doing a lot helped - by that I mean keeping stiller, lowering my posture and commanding slower - seems to work!
Think its a matter of practice makes perfect for both parties to be honest, the more you do it, the more confident you get and the more the horse learns whats expected (well, its been that way for us).
 
Hello everyone, well lunged Tia today, and tried lots of different things, including walking her right towards a wall whilst saying 'whoa' - something my RI told me to do. Anyway, it was all still a bit hit and miss, as even when she stopped when I walked her into a wall (well towards the wall) she then decided, on a couple of occasions, to walk towards me and stop right in front of me, as if to say, ok mum, you want me to come to you?! Bless, I did laugh, she is so sweet. But...then...a breakthrough! I use her name quite a lot as she listens more when I do, and I said her name very slowly on a few occasions - pretty much straightaway she slowed down and stopped! Am not sure if it was a fluke but its the first time I did it, so maybe this is the key with her! Am going to try it tomorrow and see if it works again. But I felt we got somewhere today, which was good, so thank you for all your tips and describing how you lunge, its useful to read everyone's different experiences - think I have tried everything that all of you describe lol...:eek::)
 
Well done on persevering and having a break through!!:)

I have to admit i do not lunge the 'BHS' way - i was taught and found it awkward so i lunge how i want to!!

Indie was a pain when i got him all he would do is go off in trot and not stop until he was reeled in :rolleyes: However lots of practise and consistency, he is now a dream to lunge 99% of the time :cool:

Thte main thing that worked with him, particularly when he hooleys is to drop my voice, keep it clear and drag the word out and keeping calm, a hint of frustration and forget it! Also when teaching him to slow it didn;t matter what words i used it was tone and use of voice that done it. So for example i will use the word 'steady' it would be said as 'stttteeeeeaaaa' in normal pitch and 'dddddddyyyyyyyyy' in a much lower tone! Hope that makes sense!:D

Just keep practising but concentrate more on your tone and dropping the voice as often they respond, and use a high and energetic command for faster. It can be a long road but worth it when their little brains click. For Indie it was best part of a year with being lunged twice maybe 3 times a month depending on weather


Good luck and keep us posted please :D
 
I have to admit to being another lunging to what suits me and my horse. Not quite the same I know, but my boy has off days where he doesn't listen. I say 'whoa' followed by 'stand', most of the time hes pretty good, but if he choices not to listen and keeps walking. I turn my back in the direction hes going and step backwards. So as to get infront of him, even though im 20ft away from him. Seems to work and he then realises I want him to stop.

Also on downwards transition I will go from 'canter' to 'trot', then if i want him slower i say 'steady trot' (saying steady trot really slowly). Almost getting him to a walk but not actually walking. Then 'walk'.

If I go 'canter', 'trot', 'walk', then 'whoa stand' thats nines times out of ten when he switches off and doesnt listen.

Maybe you have found some that works for you by using her name. Dont get dishearted, it all comes with practice. When I first had mine I was told he didnt lunge. Well he does now.
 
Hmm. I am one of those odd people who really enjoys lunging :eek: I will quite happily do six or eight horses in a row!

I do try to do it the "proper" way most of the time, and most of the time it works, but with some horses (and in some moods) you need to be able to mix it up a little. There's no point in lunging if your technique is not effective, so you need to adapt it to suit the horse. I lunge about 12 different horses and ponies at the moment and most of them require slightly different tactics :rolleyes:

It sounds like you have been trying lots of different techniques and getting a lot of practise, which is fab. Remember that just as it takes time for YOU to learn how to lunge effectively, it also takes a horse time to understand what is required of him. Practise makes perfect and all that :)

With horses that aren't very responsive with downward transitions, I prefer to lunge with two lines as others have suggested. If the horse doesn't respond to your body language and voice commands when you tell him to slow down, you can use the outside line to slow him down - in the same way you'd use the outside rein to slow him down if he was doing it whilst ridden. However, as a novice lunger (is that a word??) I wouldn't suggest you try it without help. Having two lines and a whip in your hands can be tricky until you get used to it, and the danger is that you will let one of the lines go saggy and he will put a foot over it. Also, some horses react badly to having the second line around their back end, and will freak out.

There's one horse I lunge who is like this, doesn't like the downward transitions but can't be lunged with two lines because he panics if there's something touching his back legs. For him, I do what others have suggested and reel him in to stop him. To start with, I had to reel him right in before he'd stop, but after persisting for a few weeks, now I just have to gather up the line for one coil and he will stop.
 
Hi guys

It was so useful reading the posts, it made me realise that you can use different techniques to lunge and lots of food for thought - Joosie, interesting to hear about the different ways you lunge your 12 too. Tia was soo well-behaved today, a little mishap when she went into canter by mistake, and a couple of circuits before she stopped but then she totally got it, we had clear trot to walk transitions and walk to whoa (albeit with this one I do have to reel her in a bit). It is definitely hearing her name in a different tone that helps - as I've tried so many other variations on steady, stand, whoa, walk etc in so many different voices, as you guys say, slowing it right down and in a deeper tone etc. I thought the name thing wouldnt make any difference as I'm a firm believer in the fact that its the tone of voice rather than the actual word that they respond to? Or maybe I just say it in a certain way?

Anyway, very long-winded way of saying that it wasn't just a fluke yesterday, we have definitely started getting somewhere and I was so pleased with her, she was just perfect (well, nearly anyway) :D :D
 
However, as a novice lunger (is that a word??) I wouldn't suggest you try it without help. Having two lines and a whip in your hands can be tricky until you get used to it, and the danger is that you will let one of the lines go saggy and he will put a foot over it.

OMG - I can only imagine the mess I would get in if I tried to long line with a lunge whip as well:eek: Whenever I use two lines I don't use a whip - way too many things for a beginner like me to think about.

How do you use the lunge whip when lunging with two lines? I don't find I need the whip as the outside line brings him up from behind - not sure if that makes sense:rolleyes:
 
Really glad that you have found something that clicks with him.

I thought I would let you know what I do as it is different to what you have been told already. I have been learning this from a friend at the yard. when I lunge I hardly use my voice at all. I say out (to push him out on to the circle), walk, trot and for canter I raise the lunge line, take a step foward and move the whip toward his back end (I never touch him ever). To slow I say steady, trot and walk.

Once he is in trot, canter etc I never nag with my voice (never say trot on etc) if he slows I move to whip up again to his rear to encouage forward movement. If he is ignoring me and he does sometimes!!! I always back each request up with my body language as someone else said.

it has taken time but now when I speak he picks his ears up and listens if I talk constantly at him he can't tell what I am asking for.

My mate does not say a word when lunging free schooling it is amazing to watch.
 
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Really glad that you have found something that clicks with him.

I thought I would let you know what I do as it is different to what you have been told already. I have been learning this from a friend at the yard. when I lunge I hardly use my voice at all. I say out (to push him out on to the circle), walk, trot and for canter I raise the lunge line, take a step foward and move the whip toward his back end (I never touch him ever). To slow I say steady, trot and walk.

Once he is in trot, canter etc I never nag with my voice (never say trot on etc) if he slows I move to whip up again to his rear to encouage forward movement. If he is ignoring me and he does sometimes!!! I always back each request up with my body language as someone else said.

it has taken time but now when I speak he picks his ears up and listens if I talk constantly at him he can't tell what I am asking for.

My mate does not say a word when lunging free schooling it is amazing to watch.

Thank you for sharing this - I do try not to nag her unless she changes speed - and she does move in her upwards transitions with the whip more than my voice really. I know what you mean if you speak all time. I can't imagine not speaking to her at all - she'd be trotting round for hours lol, well obviously she wouldnt know any different at the moment, I guess. How does your mate slow them down? I'm assuming she is pretty expert?
 
Hello. Just read your other thread about Tia and her bad back so glad she is getting better she is very pretty.

My mate was not an expert but when her horse was injuried (kick to the elbow) he spent the time bonding with him. Lots of in hand work there is a book called 'ground work games' sorry something like that that is awesome.

Spend the time playing and learning what Tia responds to on the ground free schooling etc what words work and when you need to use them. What she does is when going up the transitations open you body language shoulders arms and hand open not quite agressive and look at his head (I think) when you want to go down reduce your body size turn your shoulders away from his head and hunch away from is head and look toward his bum (sorry her).

It does take time. A small word of warning through as I see this happen a lot. Do not 'over lunge/freeschool' or you could end up with a very fit Tia that is very kean.that you then have to get back on as a nervous rider (not saying you are, but if you have not ridden your horse in a while you might be a little nervous)
 
How do you use the lunge whip when lunging with two lines? I don't find I need the whip as the outside line brings him up from behind - not sure if that makes sense:rolleyes:

Yeah it does make sense, and you're right - that's the main function of the outside line. However I usually have a whip with me just in case, because with several of the horses, although the outside line serves its function of encouraging them to work from behind and shorten up, it doesn't actually help to create the energy in the first place! But most of the time the whip will be tucked under my arm, I don't normally need to use it :)

Nicnac - I really LOL'ed when you said "your 12" like I'm rich enough to own that many horses, I should be so lucky if I could even afford one :D I'm just the sap who looks after them :p
 
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