I’ve been lunging, saddle breaking young TB’s, and otherwise working professionally with horses for over 50 years. Unless I am lunging an old, well trained, gentle soul of a horse I always put on chain over or under the horse’s nose!!! It serious reduces the “oh st**” situations previously mentioned!! Things can always go wrong, but showering down on a chain helps even the score of who is going to win. Even if a horse blows up, stopping him in the first or second stride helps to avert potential disasters. If you don’t have a round pen or arena…it is not impossible to rig up an electric fenced 60’-70’ pen to lunge in. A fresh horse in a big field is an invitation for a wreck.
I’ve had my share of bratty ponies, and knock on wood, never let one go. Just too much of a downside. Of course, I’ve got my share of rope burns and aching joints to show for it.
Horses like that I’ve taken back to square one. I bought a Portuguese cavesson at the suggestion of one clinician and it’s worked wonders with the bolters. It’s much less padded than a lot of the ones out there and if the horse bolts and hits the end of the line there’s a really learning moment. Once the horse understands there are limits, I then retrain emphasizing manners. I say stop, you stop immediately. I say walk, you walk immediately. Etc., etc.
For what it’s worth I never lunge in a halter. I use a head stall with a French link snaffle. I Run the line through the inside bit ring over the poll and finally snap it to the outside bit ring. and yes I switch it for each change of direction. I also use a surcingle and side reins. Lunging is work time not playtime. I’ve never had any trouble controlling a horse in this set up although for a horse just learning I will use the corner of the indoor and use the wall to back them off if they get strong. In a few weeks of consistent work they learn all the vocal commands and that’s how I ask for all my transitions. The whip is merely to point at their hip as a directional device and helps me form the “magic V” . My body is the pointy end of the V, my left hand holds the line for one branch of the V and the whip forms the other branch. The horse is always contained from head to tail in the open end of the V. If you can visualize that…
I do everything I can to hold onto that line - just shy of getting dragged.
I grab it with both hands, I dig in my heels, lean back and jerk as hard as I possibly can to get that horse back.
Proper equipment makes a big difference as well. A line with a doughnut at the end - and something besides a flat web halter (rope halter, halter with chain, lunging cavason) will up your chances of keeping hold.
I don’t want the horse to learn it can over power and the handler and run off.
[QUOTE=SportArab;7898361]
I’ve had my share of bratty ponies, and knock on wood, never let one go. Just too much of a downside. Of course, I’ve got my share of rope burns and aching joints to show for it.
Horses like that I’ve taken back to square one. I bought a Portuguese cavesson at the suggestion of one clinician and it’s worked wonders with the bolters. It’s much less padded than a lot of the ones out there and if the horse bolts and hits the end of the line there’s a really learning moment. Once the horse understands there are limits, I then retrain emphasizing manners. I say stop, you stop immediately. I say walk, you walk immediately. Etc., etc.[/QUOTE]
Good advice!! You HAVE to set the rules!!
I’ll admit to having let go a few times…but not because horse was bad…but because I wasn’t paying attention. Super bad on my part.
I do my best to never let go as it always escalates before it’s through. Wild horse now has a giant snake trailing? Yea…that’s going to go well. I do work on getting them desensitized to dragging things.
Honestly, the only move that really gets them away from me is the head/shoulder throw to the outside. as long as I can avoid that (and it can be avoided) I can usually hang on through most stuff. If they get really wild, I slowly bring the circle in until they stop. (BTW - I’ve never longed one that was willing to run me over…I guess that also factors in…
)
[QUOTE=Phoebemoonpie;7896162]
I assure you that NO amount of skill and knowledge will keep any person holding onto the line when she makes her move.
<snip>
I can’t help but find it humorous that some believe that it’s always poor handling by a trainer that allows a horse to successfully ditch them on the lunge line.[/QUOTE]
I highly doubt it. She is giving you signs before she makes her move. It’s up to you to read them and make sure she never has an opportunity to make her move.
Funny, just watching a court show (another day on call at work during a traditionally very slow period when they really don’t need an extra).
Gal buys horse, lacks trailer, hires FB free lance “trainer” specializing in difficult horses. Horse is late teens, family type packer, has not been off the ranch for 10 years and has been out of work for several years. Seller advises mare likely is not going to be an easy load.
He’s right, won’t go in. “Trainer” goes to lunge it to tire it. Seller advises mare does not round pen or lunge, never needed to as family ranch horse. “Trainer” just has it in halter, starts smacking it in the butt with end of line (meaning she is nowhere near end of line and too close). Mare takes offense at being smacked for something she does not do and let’s “trainer” have it catching her on the back of the hand to the tune of 6 stitches and 2 months loss if hand use.
“Trainer” sues seller despite fact he did not hire her, had the sale money in his pocket and told her it would be a tough load and did not lunge. Seller won, had already taken horse back and refunded to buyer.
Why people think lunging is something they just do and don’t need proper training and equipment for has always been a puzzlement to me-especially with horses that are too fresh or already upset.
Yeah, I have lost a couple, not lately after I got smart about it circa 1970. When in doubt of control, I don’t lunge.
I am a klutz and, when I was learning to lunge, had to drop the line once when horse stepped on it and got a bit tangled, I think at a walk if I remember correctly. Gelding walked/jogged to the other side of the arena and eventually stopped. I asked trainer if I did the right thing and was told that I did. I also went without gloves the first time I lunged–I learned that lesson pretty quickly.
