Single line Lunging - Good or bad

Mossy

Mossy

Well-Known Member
Jan 9, 2000
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Dartmoor
Something I've felt instinctively for a while but lacked the confidence to speak up and the terminology to explain why. What is the point of single line lunging. I was reading an article yesterday which put my thoughts far for professionally that I ever could. Why put one sided presssure on a horse and sent it round in circles? I have no objection to two rein lunging or longlining - do it all the time and would throroughly recommend it. Incidentally it is much easier to prevent line tangles if the two reins are matched weight and length but differet colour webbing
When I got Connie she would single line lunge beautifully. Barged all over me and no manners at all but never mind. Her manners are now much better and she is a pleasure to be around - most of the time - but she will not single line lunge. She just will not stay out there, and her backside goes everywhere. I am not about to take a lunge whip anywhere near her - she freaks. Two line yes great. Mossy won't lunge at all, never been taught and does not see the point but he too will long line.
Am I missing something by not insisting on the traditional method. Incidentally the first thing the vets say in the case of a minor shoulder or back pull is don't lunge because of the physical stresses involved.
Folks thoughts please
 
There's a lot in the horsey press at the moment about lunging with one or two lines. My horse has been 1 line lunged for about ten years now once a week pretty regularly by a very experienced person. When Shade has had a problem, the work is varied accordingly. If she's had a bad problem then she isn't worked at all. We both went along to Richard Maxwell last week and now my trainer is having a go at 2 line lunging. She can't do as well with the 2 lines yet, but she is working on it. I am very lucky in that my trainer is very open minded and willing to try different methods to see if they work. If they do, she'll carry on but if she finds they don't, then she'll do what does. A few years back we went to a Bill Noble lecture (a dressage rider and trainer) and he was using a peculiar arrangement with the side reins running through the bit rings and then down back through the surcingle. We tried it at home and found it really worked and have used it ever since. There may be a proper name for it now as so many new gadgets have sprung up from all over the place but my trainer made her own up.

This is just my opinion of using 1 or 2 lines. I think you have to leave it up to the horse and see what works for them. Sorry to be so long winded. Let's have all views on this - it's a big subject.

Also, Richard Maxwell was GREAT and it was brilliant to see his relationship with his 'killer' horse which he rode with no saddle or bridle and jumped and which played with him in the arena. Even he says that a pressure halter is very dangerous in the wrong hands which, with horses, is every piece of equipment.

Judy
 
I use single line lunging. If it's done correctly it puts no more strain on the horse than 20m circles done correctly. There shouldn't be one-sided pressure, especially if the lunge is attached to the central ring of a cavesson and the horse has learned to be light on it. If the horse is taught to work calmly and correctly through transitions, it can be very useful. If a horse is unfit, or young, then keep the sessions short. I saw the article, which is written by Kelly Marks (Monty Roberts believes the same) and sending a horse flying around a round pen is even more likely to stress joints etc. My horse learned through body language whether or not to stand out on the circle, or turn in towards me, which is one of the criticisms. They believe it's contrary to their join-up. I don't agree with their send-away for every horse. When I'm lunging my horse, I walk around making the circle larger, or adding straight lines, which can't be done in a round pen. I also particularly use lunging for teaching riders. Lunge lessons are very useful for developing the seat. 2 lines, or a round-pen wouldn't be much good for that. If your horse is happier with 2 lines and doesn't lunge well, then it could be inappropriate and damaging to make her lunge though. Same as if your horse has a problem which means she shouldn't be doing circles, eg a shoulder injury or back strain you mention. In which case, the horse probably wouldn't even be ridden in circles off the lunge, or round-penned. I'd use long-lining too, it's useful in different ways.

Comparing poor lunging, ie the horse flying around on the end of the lunge, or trotting never ending circles, isn't really fair. Driving wild horses to exhaustion with helicopters and chasing them with lunge lines around a round pen, is far more likely to damage them than correct, careful lunging imho. There's no reason anyone should have to lunge though, if they don't want to. :)

I hope this helps, Mossy.

Sue Carnell
sue@eclipse.co.uk
 
Thanks Judy
I missed Richard Maxwell I have seen him before but would love to see him in the plate. Unfortunately I was working that night. I agree with you and you are lucky to have an open minded trainer. I am coming round to the view more horses are ruined by half knowledge and slavish attention to the latest fashion than by almost anything else.
Thanks Sue
I nearly mentioned in the post that I was not talking about ridden teaching lunging, which is different altogether and on which I would not presume to have an opinion.
I also am not necessarily a fan of a round pen as the be all and end all of all ills and problems either. Like most things they have advantages and disadvantages. I also agree about lunging and 20m circles. They are similar, however I would not ask a youngster to start on a 20 m circle and the horse is supported from both sides when ridden. It is also supported from both sides when two line lunged. I was not comparing poor lunging with good round pen work or looking at any sort of extremes about anything.
Personally I look at each "new discovery" or "advance" - not necessarily equine - think about it, see if it is feasible for me and mine, and ask all sorts of questions, and then and only then do it, either on my own or with assistance as appropriate. If it does not appear to be successful I ask why and take suitable amending action.
As regards the injury issue, yes mine did have a back problem, and I obviously would not ask her to do exercises which would cause her pain. However I was not thinking about her when I made the point about tendon and muscle strain. I was thinking generally.
Ridden work excepted I cannot think of a single advantage of one line lunging as compared to two but I can think of lots of advantages of two line over one. A horse used to two lines can be long lined on the roads, obviously with safety precautions in place.
 
Hi Mossy,

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean you were particularly criticising lunging over round-pen, I was commenting on the article, which did.

I don't see much advantage of one line over two either, but I don't have a problem with one, or two, so it doesn't really matter to me, if you see what I mean. I can think of one advantage though. When I can't be bothered or in a hurry, I slap on a headcollar and one line. Another advantage is it's more reliant on body language than two lines, easier for hamfisted lungers, or those just learning to lunge/long-line and you can use such things as a chambon to help build up back muscle, as recommended by my horse's physio when he'd lost his. If I thought lunging my horse on one line was likely to damage him, or not doing him much good, then I wouldn't do it either. I suppose, as I don't lunge from the bit, unless sometimes when teaching riding, I'm not really supporting my horse on either side. He's expected to support himself. :)

I don't lunge on the roads though. ;)

Sue Carnell
sue@eclipse.co.uk
 
Hi Sue
I must confess I did wonder. Yes I know the article was deliberately onesided, there is the opposing view next month. I await with interest. Sorry if I got on my high horse so to speak.
 
Lunging

I use a sinle line when lunging on any line at all. I only use the line if I am teaching a horse to lunge in the round pen first or if I am lunging a horse in a wide open space such as an arena. I believe strongly in good round pen work and if I have a horse that knows how to lunge, I will lunge him in a round pen without a line. I also agree with "sending them out" if they make a mistake. It teaches them quickly to adhere to what you want them to do if you stop sending them as soon as they do it right. I have used two lines to teach responding to reins on a young horse or to teach the basics of driving. Send them through a sursingle and you have a good tool. Happy Trails!
 
I personally prefer lunging with two lines because you can have a contact on both sides of the horse's mouth.
Monty won't lunge on one line but goes nicely with two - but he was never taught to lunge as a youngster and I've always lunged with two.
 
I use both methods and I think ones as good as ther other, though with two lines you can change direction as an ongoing part of the lesson. I think that it is used to an excess sometimes and not used to teach a horse to carry and balance itself but as a means of exercise or to take out the fizz out of difficult horses.

I have seen people driving horses round on much to tight circles, completely out of balance, on the forehand with absolutely no hope of settling down into a nice rhythm and not think that they are doing anything wrong. I have also seen people who maybe have their horse trotting round really nicely, lovely rhythm, over tracking and relaxed, and because the horse appears to going slower, when really they are covering more ground with relaxed strides, then driving them forward because they feel the horse isn't putting in enough effort.

I think both methods will achieve what you want, if the lunger knows what to look for and how to get it.

One question I have what is peoples opinions about lunging from the bit. It is something I have never done, though I do long rein from the bit. I wouldn't like to think if things go pear shaped a youngster would get a nasty jolt in the mouth, I always lunge from the head collar.

Lesley
 
Hi Dizzy,

I do lunge from the bit very occasionally and agree with you. I only ever lunge from the bit when lunging experienced, older horses when I'm giving a lunge lesson. In these instances, I have very little contact, if any and my lunge is there purely to guide the horse and keep control in case something does go wrong. With an inexperienced, novice rider it is essential that I don't lose control of the horse, or at least regain it very quickly. Usually, I don't really need the control and it's very easy to unclip the lunge to let the rider go off on their own at the end of their lunge lesson. The horse is then wearing his usual tack without a cumbersome cavesson, so it's better for him imho. In this case I normally use an overhead check. I don't always lunge from the bit in lunge lessons. With my own horse, who is very sensitive and whom I know very well, I attach the handle of my lunge line to his bridle noseband, but I wouldn't normally recommend it. :)

Sunny can change direction whether I've one or two lunge lines too, but I don't find it so easy with just one line and horses I don't know so well as my own.

Sue Carnell
sue@eclipse.co.uk
 
I've found these messages very interesting. We do both with Benny and are learning as we go along. He works well on a single lunge (from the front of a lunge cavesson with a bit/bridle separately fitted because this seems to make him concentrate better) for work like his second polework and cavaletti session this morning, which he is loving. Just occasionally I just put the lunge cavesson on - then he knows it's not too serious!

Then sometimes if he is being side-reined I put two lunge lines on afterwards (through stirrups as I haven't got a surcingle) and use that to have control over both sides of the mouth and do a bit of circling using both lines. Also to try and get a four-square halt. He has also done some basic driving training so is not afraid of lunge lines round his backside. But I'll admit it doesn't look too pretty as the lines (which are different weights) get very muddled. Thanks for the tips about weights and colours, I shall buy myself a matching weight one!
 
I do a lot of lungeing, but horses with riders on their backs for lunge lessons. Not enough importance is attatched to a ridden lunge lesson. They should be used more than they are in riding schools.

I do, however, prefer to use two reins when training youngsters, but still on a circle as with lunging. I just think they go better, it's just a bit of personal bias!!

The method I was taught, by Magnús Laurusson,involves more body language than spoken commands. I have had to adapt this though, because when I am training a horse to harness he cannot see my visual body language (due to winkers) and has to become sensetive to spoken commands.
 
There's an article in the new Horse & Rider (May) with both points of view, by Kelly Marks against and Fliss Elliott for. Must admit I am teaching 2 yo Sunny the elements of lunging, just on the headcollar. It is a dicipline which will be expected of them later in life at some stage. Like anything it can be abused, but I find it very satisfying to have a well mannered and balanced horse or pony working with just my voice and body language. I enjoy longreining too and will start Sunny in the summer (just for a few minutes, obviously) but I'm not ready to bit him yet.
It's all part of their education, and perhaps we should be looking at educating the owners to do either or both rather than condemning the processes.
 
Never seen 2 line lunging...

I'am currently starting to train my almost two year old filly... I've never heard of using two lunge lines? How does this work? Does anybody know where I can find more information and directions on how to do this? any advice would be appreicated! thanks!
 
When I lunge with two lines, I have one line attached to the side of the horse nearest me (like a normal lunge line) then there is another line attached on the outside which passes around the horse's bum and then towards me in the centre of the circle.
 
The method I use involves a driving roller and the reins pass through the terrets. You stand in the middle and hold the reins as if you were on the horse, Don't stand facing the horse, stand shoulder on and carry the lunge whip in your inside hand but facing backwards, behind you. The method where one rein passes behind the horse, I find, can spook a nervy animal.
 
Wally
I am trying to visualise your position when standing and I cannot do it. I long rein from lunging roller rings or run up and tied stirrups so theoretically it should work for two line lunging but I cannot see how you can have the lungewhip in your inside hand with out it being in the 'front'hand so to speak. Sorry if I am being stupid. Could you elaborate?
Thanks
 
Oh heck, how do I explain this one?

Okay here goes.

The reins are running through two driving terrets so they are on top of the horse's back and then turn at 90°(roughly) to the horse. You stand facing the same way the horse goes shoulder on, so to speak. You then hold the reins as if you were riding the horse and carry the lunge whip the same way as you'd carry a schooling whip! Then you can use the whip by flicking your wrist away from you towards the horse!
Chicken impressions with the inside arm ancourage the horse forward with the whip! When I say inside I mean between your body and the horse's.

To change rein you simply step over the lunge whip and swap it into the other hand and turn the horse to the outside and round the other way. Sounds easy when written down.

Does that make sense? ..... probably not!
 
Wally

Ah Ha! All is now clear. I thought that by 'inside' you menat towards towards the centre of the circle. Thanks muchly. I now know exactly what you mean and it should work a treat - sorry badly worded, it obviously does work a treat otherwise you would not be doing it. I meant it should work a treat with his hamfisted individual
 
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