lunging

Kerry Claire

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Aug 30, 2004
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I'm about to start sharing a horse and the owner has told me that he is great to lunge on one rein, but he tries to turn in on the other.

Is there anything I can do to stop him from doing this or do I just have to keep working at it?

Some one suggested using a second lunge line as if I were long reining and this way he wouldn't be able to turn in. But surely the secongd lunge line would be resting around his hind quarters or the top of his legs. Would this not encourage him to buck?
 
Hey, I use to lunge my old horse alot with two reins, it meant I didn't have to stop him to turn him around.

Before you put two reins around him make sure he is totally bombproof to the reins, so in the stable carefully rub him all over with them and drap them around him legs and over his back, untill you can throw them all around him.

I lunged him with the second rope coming around his far side from the bridle and sitting on his hocks. As he was use to the rein I didn't have many problems.

The issues i had was with me being able to control two reins, they both need to be changed in length alot, if your lunging with out an arean or inclosed area (or you horse changes the size of the circle alot) just takes practice.

Good luck
 
He he -my boy used to do this he would NOT do clockwise- a month later he will do it (lungeing twice a week at mo) I acheived this by walking alongside him on the desired rein, then trotting along with him gradually paying out more line and getting stiller. One day I was a bit premenstral and got really p***ed off with him turning in and ran towards his backside yelling terrible threats, chased him twice round the school in a mad canter suddenly he realised the game was up, he was going around on the right rein.
Dunno if it was the approved method or the Charge of the Lunatic that did it, but he now goes anti-clock fine!!!!!!!
 
Hackedoff, sometimes just insisting that they WILL cooperate gives them the incentive to figure it out ;) PMS may not be an approved training method, though!

You don't have to use the 2nd rein around the outside of the horse's body. If you're lunging with a saddle or surcingle on, then you can put the other rein through the surcingle ring or the stirrup on the other side; then you can bring the rein directly over the horse's back behind the wither.

It may work just to insist that he stays out. Using a lunge whip, point it at his shoulder if he tries to come in; poke him with it if he ignores it. Never, never hit with the lash, but you can poke with the tip (I usually hold the lash itself at the base of the handle if I'm poking). Be authoritative; square your shoulders and stand upright; make sure that you use appropriate body language and MEAN it.

Some body language guides here:
http://lorienstable.com/articles/handling/300-lunging/
 
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