Lunging/Long reining........

fairlady

fairlady

New Member
Jul 14, 2007
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Bristol
Sioned hates lunging, no doubt about that, she turns in and generally turns
into the 'devil' pony..............it was getting to be a battle so I decided
no more, leave it, its something we can come back to.

So last couple of nights have started long reining. At first last night
she decided she wasn't having any of it, I think when I put the long lines
on she thought she was going to be lunged. However I stayed very calm
but determined and eventually off we went, did some nice straight lines, circles etc., and ended on a good note.

Tonight she was a star, got the hang of it straight away, did a few walks
around the field, few circles, few figures of eight, stand, walk on and she
was brilliant..............so, do some Horses just HATE lunging and thats
why I am having a problem. I was taught to lunge by an RI years ago so
really don't think its me confusing her at all and I appreciate as a Youngster
they find it very difficult, but I always keep the circles very large and actually
'go with her' to make it easier, Bert lunges no problem and I taught him.

I do try to keep everything as 'relaxed' as I can with them both as they are young, but better to stop with
Sioned rather than get frustrated, leave it a while and come back too it I think..........

Thoughts?
 
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Ziggy on the other hand will do rope circles like a (spooky, silly) pro, but show him long reins and he flees to the other end of the paddock at top speed!
 
Can you not turn your long reining into lunging hun?? Do you use two lines when you lunge??

I always use two lines for teaching youngsters to lunge,far more control if they have a 'moment' lol.I just follow them round a bit rather than staying at a fixed point in the middle to start with,so is more like long reining,then can gradually turn it into more of a proper circle by decreasing the amount I move around.Using a smaller space than normally would for long reining also helps with direction as they have less places to go so less to think about,essential with the typical young 'attention span of a gnat' brain I find:tongue:

Apologies of you already do this,just a thought,as know many people struggle to lunge a young horse (or an old horse with some of them lol),when using only one line,the horse has too little guidance,too much control and more ability and opportunity to get away.

If it's just that she hates lunging no matter how you do it,then stick to long reining,as long as you're both happy that's the main thing.
I prefer long reining for educating,is much more relevant to a riding career.I only make sure I crack lunging as find it very useful for fittening and weight loss,when haven't got a lot of time,20 mins on the lunge does the trick.Could use long reining I guess in the same way,but personally I would be dead if I attempted to keep up trotting around the paddock for 20 mins lol:biggrin::tongue:
 
Not really relevant probably as my boy is older but I thought my horse didn't like lunging - I knew he knew what to do as sometimes lunged beautifully but other times he would just spend the whole session turning in no matter what I did to get after him.
Then I realised it was because I was working in the field. In the school he lunges like a dream. Sure he still doesn't like it but at least he knows he's there for that purpose.
Long reining though - my god thats just disaster where ever I do it!!
 
You definately have a point there FM. Its hard when you are trying
to do these sessions on 'their territory', especially if Bert or Sioned are
grazing nearby whilst working one or the other.

There is a small paddock that is used for jumping/schooling on Cooksters
Yard that they have said I can use and maybe it would be better to try down there.

devonlass, yep think we will continue with the longreining for a while, we are doing some circles, figures of eight and once that has been 'cracked' attempt
to turn it into a lunging session with the two lines.

I personally HATE lunging as much as Sioned does, lol, but accept that it has its place as you say for fitness etc., especially in Berts case:biggrin:
 
June lunges like a lovely little dream - because for 3 months solid after her accident she was lunged for atleast 20 mins a day :( boring for us both but in the vets orders this is what we had to do!! Now I try and stay away from lunging, she long reins well as I have been breaking her to drive and we always aim for hilly bits (I'm not sure why - I'm always the one out of breath!!!) to keep her fit. Also our yard has a lunging pen, which I free school in. It's a lot more fun and she can have a good blast.

We have also been working on our changing of direction, all i do Is change hands the whip is in and point the other way and she stops and changes. Some times with a little to much over enthusiasm! a:) but it keeps her fit and she can work on a bigger area than she can on the lunge!

Point to my ramble is if there is sufficient fenceing in the field at cooksters place could you not loose school!
 
i'd just stick to longreining for now, you don't 'have' to lunge young horses! long reining appears more useful for their education anyway :) (appley has never been lunged ...).

julia
x
 
Hi Fairlady!

You don't have to lunge, but it's a really good idea to have the horse willing to go on a circle around you in both directions at all paces. It's to do with the dynamics of the hierarchy - the lower ranking horse circles softly around the higher ranking one, and the higher ranking one controls the speed, direction and attitude of movement. It's on this level that a lot of horses "won't lunge" / "hate lunging" - they just don't concede that the person can control the space, movement and speed. So, by giving up and just not lunging (or using any circling exercises) one is actually papering over a pretty big crack in the relationship that will probably manifest itself elsewhere in the course of time.

The other question is, does Sioned "not lunge" or only "not lunge to the right"? Most horses are "hard wired" to prefer us on the left. That's their side for quick reactions and instinctive assessment of a situation, and some will go to considerable lengths to keep us on that side. A large number of horses that "won't lunge", actually lunge OK to the left, and only have problems on the right.

I'm not a bit lunger myself - but I set a lot of store by an exercise called "the Waltz" that gives all the psychological benefits of good lunging (and a lot more) without all the running round in circles. It's an exercise I could easily write a book about... but there's a brief description and short video of how it works here http://www.thinkinghorse.org/sample-exercises/waltz

Hope that helps!
 
I would guess the field has a lot to do with it too, a lot of horses seem to take offence at being asked to work where they spend their leisure time, I know I would :D

There seems to be a misconception that long lining involves a lot of running around on the handler's part, you can work a horse on a circle at all paces with minimum effort if your lines are long enough. If long lining is working then stick with it, horses don't have to be lunged.
 
May be OT, but how nice to see you back and posting on NR Kate - When people go away, I forget how much they meant to me.

It is funny how in the UK one is taught to lunge in a circle with a single line and using 2 long lines to go straight. That was how my lessons were organised.

Nothing is compulsory - some trainers who advocate long lining, disaprove of lunging or working horses on a circle so they dont do it.
Richard Maxwell on the other hand works horses on a circle and turns them on the circle using two long lines.

Just to add that there is a lot of NH ground work one can do with a single line - a 12 ft line usually, but if your horse doesnt like working on a circle with a single line, there are many other things you can do - working towards going happily on a circle if that is what you want. After all you must lead your horse on a lead rope?
 
I agree with everything said tbh:bounce:

I know lunging has its place, however, in all honesty its a personal hate
of mine, I honestly think its one of the hardest things we ask our Horses
to do, especially youngsters. I do keep the 'circles' very large but with Sioned have had to restrict them slightly to keep any contact and therefore
'control' when she decides she isn't 'happy'.

Kate you are right, I read your thread the other day and yes she does
lunge better better when lunging to the left. After watching your video I went to the field and thought I would 'give it a go' and it was in fact blatantly obvious that she is not happy with me on her Right hand side, so much so
that she turns her head in an attempt to get me back on her left and something I will work on.

The longreining is going well, once she realised what I was asking she was quite happy to oblige, the next evening she settled to it straight away with no problems, which was a major breakthrough for me as until that point I have had problems getting her to move forward without me being by her side. She is quite happy to do circles whilst long reining as long as I give her plenty of space, we have even managed a
few 'circles of 8' and she has been such an obliging girly with everything else
I have asked of her I am determined not to get in a 'battle' with her over
the lunging. I will continue with the longreining and work the circles into
that and come back to the lunging down the line a bit.

Thanks everyone x
 
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Hi Skib! Thanks - it's good to be back! :happy: I missed you all! It's great to see that so many of the old faces, errrmmm, names, are still here!

Fairlady, I'm glad the right hand side thing made sense! It's one of those things that people rarely realize for themselves, but once it's pointed out, you think "how on earth have I not noticed that before?" I know I did! In fact, these one sided responses are one of the things I've been working on during my little"sabbatical" from NR - confirming that they exist, and trying to figure out how they work and why.

I think if you work on getting the confidence of that right side, you'll find changes for the good in other, apparently unrelated areas. It's not something to make a big deal of, but to be aware of and keep quietly working at. If a horse is strongly left biased, you'll never get both sides the same, but you will get to the point where the horse is relaxed with you on the right, and that makes a big difference to the whole relationship.
 
Well we all know my cob won't lunge but he will long rein forever...the shetland on the other hand lunges no problem but i am busy teaching him to lunge on both reins as he has only seems to have cracked one rein. However, i am going to do some long reining with him also because i think he will benefit from it. Just have to stop the biting now which i think Domane's suggestion of a plastic bottle with stones in will come in handy!

Good luck FL, let us know how you get on! :biggrin:
 
Yes Kate it is the left rein he lunges ok on. I had a fight with him today to go on the right rein but i used my parelli rope to push him round, which forced him to go round the way i wanted. He is extremely nervous of whips which does worry me though :unsure: (i haven't touched him with one but just the sight of one makes him snort and act silly)
 
This 'right hand side' is true and once it has been pointed out it did become
blatantly obvious. I had noticed it before but just presumed it was because
I usually do everything from the left, leading etc. and thought thats just
what she had become used to and therefore felt more comfortable with.

TBH I have heard many people state thro' the years 'they always lunge better on one side than the other' but
have never given it any thought as to 'which side' or any reason as to why that is, I have never really
questioned it.

I suppose in all honesty I find it easier working from that side because I
am right handed.

Definately something I will start working with, thanks Kate :wink:
 
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