Is lunging part of your horse training program?
Yes we do incorporate lunging but not to simply tire the horse out; Correct lunging is a gymnastic schooling that leads to a more compliant and elastic horse. As the horse progresses, we lunge less. Most classical trainers will lunge a horse for up to a year before riding them because they know the importance of developing their backs and that can be best accomplished without a rider, IF you know how to lunge correctly. Lunging correctly can eliminate some of the most common issues we see….horses that are not forward and/or not engaging their toplines.
9 responses to “Is lunging part of your horse training program?”
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morghan says: I have two young (3yr old) draft crosses that I would love to start stretching and working correctly on the lunge line. Not to tire them out but because I am pregnant and unable to ride. Can you show/tell me the correct way to do this?
Thank you
Morghan
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Kali says:
We have a few videos about lunging on our website right now that you can view: Correct Use of Side Reins etc. The most important thing to remember when you lunge is before you worry about walk, trot, canter or whoa you have to just get the horse to maintain a steady distance from you by moving him out into the line just like when you ride, the horse must move into the contact with your hand. And then when that contact is correct it should be the weight of the rein. Then you can begin to teach the walk, trot, canter, etc. I will be doing another video on lunging soon to explain it in more detail.
Rosalyn Donnelly says: Hi, your website has opened up a whole new world for me in my training… so for that thank you… I’m starting to use your recommendations in lunging with my horse but its proving to be difficult… he is so heavy on my hand, my shoulder kills me after each session… is there anyway i can get him to be lighter in the contact??
Thanks in advance.
Rosalyn
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Hi Rosalyn, put the lunge line through the bit on the inside and over the pole and connect to the out side ring of the bit, be sure that the line is over the headstall of the bridle and not behind it as it will catch under the headstall if you do and not release the pressure on the horse’s mouth. this will give you a lot more control over the horse pulling on you. Once he is better about that go back to hooking to the inside rein.
Holly Pearson says: Hi there
Since discovering your website I have totally changed the way I look at and train my own horse, and have trained my eye so that things I never noticed in horses before are now blindingly obvious! So thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I have a couple of questions however, one of which concerns lunging. Could you tell me why you fix the side reins where you do, rather than up higher towards the wither (simulating where you held them in your hands whilst riding)?
Many thanks,
Holly
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Hi Holly,
I do put them up higher on more advanced horses sometimes but as I am not generally working horses into collection on the lunge, that would be done in long reins, I want them lower so that when they are adjusted correctly, See video, they only come into contact if the horse throws it’s head up high. With undeveloped horses if you put the side reins up high the horse will have a tendency to roll over it’s neck, that is, come behind the bit. However, there are always exceptions to every rule. So I could put it this way, I put them where ever it seems that it encourages the horse to stretch down and out without curling its neck over. In very bad cases of over flexion of the neck, as in horses that have been Rollkured, I don’t use anything at all as long as the horse will stretch out.
Ildi says: Hi, I admire your work and learn so much from the videos. I recently started lunging my horse with a Kavalkade lunging aid, first in a halter and now with the bridle on. Squire often in the bridle he curls his neck and goes behind the vertical, how can I correct that? Without a the lunging aid he doesn’t stretch down, is there any other ways I could encourage him to work long and low? Should I just lunge him in a halter if that is more comfortable for him? thank you in advance
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I don’t know the device you mention. I suggest that you send a video of that and working with it. The only device that I use is the chambon. Usually when the horse comes out of the stretch, you would send him forward again into the contact but I’m concerned about what the device is you are using.
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Thank you for getting back to me, since my post our issue just solved itself. I just kept lunging him in the bridle and he is nicely stretching down and has also quieted in his mouth which was an issue we had – him chomping on the bit all the time.
Here is a link to the device I use: http://www.sydneyfree.co.uk/kavalkade-ho-lunging-aid.ir
, except I use two lead ropes tied together because they provide more room for the stretch/not as restricting and they’re soft cotton so they don’t rub my horse’s arm pits. I never ride in these and only have my horse walk and trot in them and I detach them if I ask for the canter on the lunge line. I have an ex race horse who would have never thought of going long and low before i introduced him this aid. I chose this over the chambon because i don’t feel confident enough using a chambon, where i can do more harm than good if I don’t adjust it well.
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I have two young (3yr old) draft crosses that I would love to start stretching and working correctly on the lunge line. Not to tire them out but because I am pregnant and unable to ride. Can you show/tell me the correct way to do this?
Thank you
Morghan
We have a few videos about lunging on our website right now that you can view: Correct Use of Side Reins etc. The most important thing to remember when you lunge is before you worry about walk, trot, canter or whoa you have to just get the horse to maintain a steady distance from you by moving him out into the line just like when you ride, the horse must move into the contact with your hand. And then when that contact is correct it should be the weight of the rein. Then you can begin to teach the walk, trot, canter, etc. I will be doing another video on lunging soon to explain it in more detail.
Hi, your website has opened up a whole new world for me in my training… so for that thank you… I’m starting to use your recommendations in lunging with my horse but its proving to be difficult… he is so heavy on my hand, my shoulder kills me after each session… is there anyway i can get him to be lighter in the contact??
Thanks in advance.
Rosalyn
Hi Rosalyn, put the lunge line through the bit on the inside and over the pole and connect to the out side ring of the bit, be sure that the line is over the headstall of the bridle and not behind it as it will catch under the headstall if you do and not release the pressure on the horse’s mouth. this will give you a lot more control over the horse pulling on you. Once he is better about that go back to hooking to the inside rein.
Hi there
Since discovering your website I have totally changed the way I look at and train my own horse, and have trained my eye so that things I never noticed in horses before are now blindingly obvious! So thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I have a couple of questions however, one of which concerns lunging. Could you tell me why you fix the side reins where you do, rather than up higher towards the wither (simulating where you held them in your hands whilst riding)?
Many thanks,
Holly
Hi Holly,
I do put them up higher on more advanced horses sometimes but as I am not generally working horses into collection on the lunge, that would be done in long reins, I want them lower so that when they are adjusted correctly, See video, they only come into contact if the horse throws it’s head up high. With undeveloped horses if you put the side reins up high the horse will have a tendency to roll over it’s neck, that is, come behind the bit. However, there are always exceptions to every rule. So I could put it this way, I put them where ever it seems that it encourages the horse to stretch down and out without curling its neck over. In very bad cases of over flexion of the neck, as in horses that have been Rollkured, I don’t use anything at all as long as the horse will stretch out.
Hi, I admire your work and learn so much from the videos. I recently started lunging my horse with a Kavalkade lunging aid, first in a halter and now with the bridle on. Squire often in the bridle he curls his neck and goes behind the vertical, how can I correct that? Without a the lunging aid he doesn’t stretch down, is there any other ways I could encourage him to work long and low? Should I just lunge him in a halter if that is more comfortable for him? thank you in advance
I don’t know the device you mention. I suggest that you send a video of that and working with it. The only device that I use is the chambon. Usually when the horse comes out of the stretch, you would send him forward again into the contact but I’m concerned about what the device is you are using.
Thank you for getting back to me, since my post our issue just solved itself. I just kept lunging him in the bridle and he is nicely stretching down and has also quieted in his mouth which was an issue we had – him chomping on the bit all the time.
Here is a link to the device I use: http://www.sydneyfree.co.uk/kavalkade-ho-lunging-aid.ir
, except I use two lead ropes tied together because they provide more room for the stretch/not as restricting and they’re soft cotton so they don’t rub my horse’s arm pits. I never ride in these and only have my horse walk and trot in them and I detach them if I ask for the canter on the lunge line. I have an ex race horse who would have never thought of going long and low before i introduced him this aid. I chose this over the chambon because i don’t feel confident enough using a chambon, where i can do more harm than good if I don’t adjust it well.