Lunge lesson ideas

I have been “enjoying” lunge lessons lately to really work on my position and clarity of transitions. I have the good fortune to have someone lunge me at home while I work by myself.

Share your in saddle exercises for on the lunge, position tips/exercises, etc :slight_smile:

Full seat breeches to start with!! Do as much no stirrup work as you can. Arm circles, toe circles to relax legs, put arms out to side and twist inwards for several,strides, then back straight and then to the outside. Wonderful to get independent seat and to focus on riding with the seat.

If your horse is saintly enough, exercises to work on mobility and independence of the hips! For example, alternating swinging one leg up and out, or riding with both legs well off the side of the horse.

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I would close my eyes and experience the feel in the saddle. To just feel my weight and how my body moves with the swinging back of my horse. I would try to relax as much as possible in order to move together with the horses.
Another thing which you can practice on the lunge is using your core. Try to sit in the saddle (you don’t even need the reins for that and to make the horse trot with your core. no legs and no reins… Its not easy in the beginning but it will improve your riding once you figured it out. Have fun!!

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Stand up on your horse at a canter and do a back flip to dismount :smiley:

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So, so much…

I’d start with some warm-up walk, trot, canter both directions with your hands on your hips. Focus on the lower back being loose, and the hips following. Stand in the stirrups to stretch the leg and heel down.

Then I’d add some movements to practice independent hands. 3 strides on your hips, 3 stride straight out to the side, 3 strides straight out in front, 3 strides straight up over your head, repeat. Then try the YMCA or the Macarena.

Then I’d take away the stirrups (in addition to reins), and do a few circles with your hands on your hips to focus on loose, relaxed, and following.

Then I’d add some movements to practice independent seat. Lift both legs away from the horse for 2 strides, then let them relax and drape down, repeat. Scissors - right leg back, left leg forward, then switch. Knee bends - with your leg long and draped, bend the knee as if you want to bring your heel up to your butt. Alter the angle of your upper body without changing your leg - lean back for 3 strides, vertical for 3 strides, a bit forward for 3 strides. Arms straight to the sides, rotate 90 degrees each direction in your waist, keeping hips forward. Toe touches on the same side, and on the opposite side. Touch the poll and the tail.

When the rider is really solid, you can practice affecting the horse - bumping with the lower leg to add jump while still following with the seat, closing the upper thigh to half halt, crunching the abs to weight the hind leg, etc.

If you’re confident in your horse and the lunger then I really do like riding with no stirrups and reins. It helps me find a better seat and learn to communicate with my horse.

Manni’s suggestion to close your eyes is really great - I have found I can feel my imbalances much quicker with my eyes closed than with them open.

That along with Joiedevie’s exercises to move your arms independently would be my go to starting place.

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Some great exercises. Drop one stirrup. Really keeps you honest, tells you immediately if you brace in your other stirrup. Much harder than just riding without stirrups. Wonderful for developing body awareness of your sidedness.

A similar one is to put a thin riding crop under you seatbones on work on sitting trot and canter departures. If you “lose” one side of the stick, you know have lifted that seat bone without realizing it,. It also teaches if you tend to “sit heavy” on one seat bone without realizing it.

I also like what Foxtail suggested - no stirrups, take your leg completely off the horse’s side, concentrate on sitting JUST with the following motion in your seatbones - teaches you that sometimes you’re staying on by gripping, not following the motion. Best to do this one with a grab strap and no reins!

I love exercises without reins - shortening and lengthening stride with your seat - no reins. And lift your inside arm above your head to cure collapsing on the inside hip. Any exercises moving the arms above the shoulders are great for posture correction.

Progressive muscle relaxation. It’s generally a therapy technique you can do to reduce stress/anxiety. But it can also be used to gain better single muscle control. It’s all about tensing and then relaxing muscles one by one. You can start with your toes up to your brow or vice versa. But it can really help you to know which muscles are tense and hard to let go of.

What?!?!?!?! No one is liking my suggestion of doing a back flip to dismount? It takes a particularly athletic person to accomplish it!

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Which would not be me… :lol: