Help with lunging my horse?

Question

ok, we lunged my horse like a week after he arrived, he had been plenty settled in. We weren't sure if he had been lunged before so my trainer did it and I just helped and watched.

In the walk he was fantastic, same in the trot, both directions he looked like he had seen this, been there done that sort of deal.

Well we got to the canter and he was good one lead, and good the other, then something must have frieghtned him and he ran around and was so scared (w/o us holding him of course!, he is in an inclosed arena)

We haven't lunged him since. I would really like to get back into lunging him because , I know it's good for him to know, especially since hes just 6 and its good to teach them now.

any tips,comments suggestions, help?! please anything appreciated.

Answer 1

If the horse hadn't been worked a lot since arriving at your barn, he might not have been spooked, but just feeling good.  Even if he was spooked, its not a big deal.  Longeing is a great tool to use until the horse really settles at a new place.  I would maybe try to use a longe line with a chain on the end, and put it over his nose.  This way, when you longe him, if he gets high, and wants to take off at the canter, you still have some control...but when he's being quiet and you have some slack, he doesn't feel the chain.  Just tell your trainer you want him to be longed every day for a few minutes until he gets really consistent with it.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I have a terrible time getting my horse to lunge.  Its not that she doesn't know how or that she is scared.  She just don't want to do it.  She never bucks until she is on a lunge line.  So what I do is lunge her then lunge her again and again until she behaves as soon as she behaves at all three gaits in both directions we are done. Then I let her eat grass  and cool off.  I know its difficult and scary when the horse is acting  wild so have some help when doing this.  also if you let loose of the lunge line in an indoor it  isn't as bad as if you were outside

Answer 3

i would guess that he wasn't in fact scared, just running like heck.  If a horse is unbalanced in any gait, it will rush since the foreward motion keeps it upright... the circle could just be too small for him to balance, so try him on a larger circle.. but at the same time my horse does it whenever i ask for the canter on the lunge... eventually he calms down and settles into a nice canter.  Just try lunging him again, and if he does the bolting thing talk quietly to him and get him to relax, without stopping the canter.

Answer 4

sounds like it would be fine for you to do it again. if it was just a spook, then he should be fine if there is nothing to spook him

Answer 5

He needs to be lunged again soon so that he will get use to it. It also strengthens the relationship between you and your horse the best way to do it is to lead him around the pen first so he can get use to the surrounding's make sure you aren't forcing him into the different gaits to fast, let him know he can trust you first. I'm not really sure thats helpful..good luck.

Answer 6

let him run it out of him. Sometimes the best medicine is just letting them get over it all by themselves in the lunge ring :)

Answer 7

Lunging, in the mainstream of things, is not good for horses.  It is mindless circling that the horse finds very boring.  After about 4 rounds, he checks out.  Horses are too smart for this.  Instead, teach your horse to leave you and return to you when you ask.  Teach your horse to move left, right, toward you, and to back away from you when you ask.  Teach your horse to respect your space.  I can move my horses around at liberty in a figure 8 pattern in a 20 acre pasture and they will not leave me until I communicate to them that it is OK for them to leave and go join their buddies.  It is such an amazing feeling to have that kind of respect and communication.  Every time we play, it is so much fun and we continue to learn to "talk" to each other.  Before I ride, I do at least 20-30 minutes of pre-ride activity with my horses.  It definitely seems to make a difference in our "attitude" when under saddle.  It just seems to make more sense to me and my horses.  We have an understanding, there is no freaking out, it is safer for both of us, and we accomplish so much more because we "speak" to each other.  Just something to think about - a different tack, if you will.  Good luck with your horse.

Answer 8

I would suggest that you continue to work out the horse.  One unpleasant experience does not indicate any problem with the horse.  Patience and persistence are the keynotes to effective training.

Answer 9

he doesn't have any problems, trust me. horses always spook while lunging, because they've got a lot of energy. It allows them time to just cut lose and burn off those oats. Almost all the horses I've lunged seem to enjoy it. And EVERY horse I've ever lunged has spooked at least once, while lunging, in the time I've known them. Because they know it's all right; under saddle, they know they've got to get down to business, and that you're on their back, so they can't- and shouldn't- leave you lying in the dirt. While lunging, they're free to spook at whatever startles them and just keep running.

Here's what I'd reccomend: YOU try lunging him while your trainer watches. If he spooks again, keep your weight down low and hang on to the lunge line, and let him run as long as he wants. That's normal for a horse.

You want to make sure that he doesn't connect his bad experience the first time you lunged him with lunging in general. Start lunging him NOW, or he'll keep remembering that first time.