In the process of breaking my 3yo and we’ve hit a snag I’ve not encountered before. She persistently turns in on the lunge. We get about half a circle and then she comes in. I’ve only had horses do the opposite before so I’m struggling a little to successfully send her back out. Unfortunately I have no access to a round yard, so we’re working in a small arena, that isn’t fully fenced so free lunging is not an option.
Tips and tricks? Long lining instead maybe? She’s happily accepting a bit and roller.
This can be a tough one to correct alone. Basically, you have to be quick enough to get behind her before she completes a turn in and keep her going forward, not turning in. This may mean you may have to actually move yourself initially to do this. Easier if you have two people and the second person handles a longe whip. Long lining can be an effective remedy if it is easier for you, but be forwarned–if you aren’t good at long lining they can do the same thing.
Establish halt and stand. Lead her in hand at different areas all around your yard and do lots of halt and stand.
She is to halt and stand and wait for you to tell her to move. If she tries to move off , just halt and stand.
You really shouldn’t have to do this too much. Most horses learn very quickly. Dont try her patience too much though. Once she stands and waits move on.
Next, put the lead line over her neck and do the same exercise. Be ready to grab the lead line in case she decides to make a run for it.
The next step is to teach her to stand and wait while you slowly back away. She may try to walk toward you so gently correct her until she understands that she is to wait for you.
Once she understands this, you can start having her circle around you, teaching her to move away from you so you can enlarge the circle.
Just wanted to share your frustration. My new paint does (did) the same thing. Turns out there are many holes in her training that I had assumed were filled. Decided I’m not quick enough and have paid a trainer to put the groundwork back. After a couple weeks she no longer does it. @x hit the nail on the head for fixing it - my problem was the horse was quicker than I was.
My mare is pretty catty on her feet and far to smart for her own good. One day I’ll be happy for those features I’m sure… for now though I’ll pay the pro to sort it out.
Surprising you have not found that problem before, is very common.
That means it probably is not your lack of timing, but your horse didn’t learn properly before.
NH, natural horsemanship clinicians worked with so many beginners that, to keep them safer they insisted everyone teach their horse to “disengage” their behind, “hide your hiney!”
That tended to backfire, as horses were then turning to face people and when people tried to get them going, horses would run backwards and ended up learning facing and running back as an evasion.
When stressed or confused, those horses would just turn and back a mile a minute.
We had some of those to retrain and even when over it, under stress, they would revert to that easily.
When starting horses on the longe line, first teach them that a lead rope is a communication aid and is making requests of them.
Teach them to follow you and turn and go over obstacles and turn this and that way and back, etc.
Once your horse learns to work with you close and doesn’t need help with it, just indicating what you want and it does it, may take a couple minutes a time of two, then you can ask the horse to move away from you and direct how you want it to move.
Some very young ones, yearlings, you walk them around first in a little circle, then open your left hand sideways and drive a bit from behind and again walk along with them and once they know to be sent on the circle, you can drive a few more steps and in a bit all the way around.
Having a smart horse helps, most are longing in a few minutes, but if one is not, don’t drill, try again later or another day.
Always when training have a horse do what you want, at least try to and quit before horse goes wrong, here turning and facing and so keeps practicing doing things wrong.
It is hard to explain, so much easier to watch someone and try with instruction.
We used to show apprentices how to start a horse longing with one that knew how to, then show them how you start a horse that doesn’t know and then guide them thru it.
Hope you will have enough ideas from posts here to try on your own and get horse longing soon.
My trainer had me always keep my not very forward young horse close enough on the lunge to touch with the end of the lunge whip.
Only when he was motoring forward on his own was he allowed a larger circle. Moving towards him to try and keep him out and going forward would often make him shut down or spin faster.
I’ve also seen a circle set up with cavalettis so the horse is on the outside and the person lunging is on the inside. That would keep the horse out on the circle, but maybe not prevent her from stopping and facing towards you.
Oh, I’ve had this before. Mine was the horse that had been taught to come in for a treat. He would then use it to stop all training. Remember this, horses usually signal what they are going to do or where they are going to go before they do it. Watch for the ears to flick or the eyes to look at you - once that happen be prepared to move swiftly forward (run if necessary) and send her back out onto the circle. Every time you stop to adjust or change direction or whatever, yo teach her that when she turns in, work stops thus rewarding her. Make sure that either the whip is pointed at her shoulder or you are positioned there to keep her from turning in.
How I solved problem with spoiled boy is I kept pushing him back out but he kept turning in. One day I was so frustrated with him that the next time he turned in I ran at him yelling and waving the whip. I made such a scene he turned away and back onto the circle and never did it again.
Thanks for the input all! We had what I think was a bit of a break through today. As expected the problem was me (isn’t it always!). All I had to do was get up her a little more and insist on a good marching walk and she started to get the hang of it.
I was going to say this. If this has become a habit that the horse has learned how to get out of work with (sounds like it), maybe I’m an A-hole, but I would take the lunge whip and swing it until the horse moved out again. If I made contact, so what. The clucking and the lack of praise (or even an AH AH AH) should have been the clue that they aren’t to be doing what they’re doing, and that their answer is a wrong one. The whip means go forward, if I swing it in their direction, they are to go forward now. If they don’t respect that while I’m “out of range” with the whip, they will soon learn what “in range” means. As soon as the horse moves off, my body language and whip position relaxes, likely with a verbal praise to make sure they know they ended up on the right answer.
If the horse starts backing, I just keep swinging the whip to make a good “whoosh” sound on their side.
I won’t make contact every time, probably every third time, following them until I get a forward reaction. Then relax and praise.
Forward is established everywhere, on the ground and under saddle. This young horse is beginning to learn how to be nappy, and I’d nip that quick.
Again, all the above assumes I am not on my first say, 15-20 lunging sessions. If the horse truly is learning the ropes, I’m more forgiving. A horse trying to learn a new trick gets dealt with swiftly and in a black-and-white manner.
And also, I’m not talking HIT them, but I’m not talking ooshy gooshy either. I want it to be uncomfortable but not elicit an explosion.
We long line everyone. 2 lines on the horse, run along his sides and around the rump, back to your hands. Obedience is not optional here, can’t swing to face you or be pulling at an angle while setting their neck against the inside line, as is so commonly seen on one line, lunged horses.
With the old saying in mind “Horse is either learning or unlearning when training” we want nothing but forward progress during handling. You have control of horse using two long lines, bit in front, lines on the other 3 sides. Using the outside line, he can’t turn to face you. Lunge whip in hand all the time, and lash SHOULD be able to reach horse any place on the circle. “Touching” horse is usually all he needs, a flick, not a nasty lashing to go forward as asked. Get a longer lash on the whip with added light cord length. All the cheap lunge whips I see are a joke, can’t reach a horse and very heavy to balance in your hand as you walk the big inside circle. Getting a long stick, 5-6ft high, proper Driving whip, then adding cord length to the lash, will make whip use MUCH easier on you. Whips run about $ 15-20. Ask a Driving friend where to buy such a whip.
We do some round-penning, but not much or for very long times. Horses go to long-lining with 2 lines, 30-35ft. They don’t have anything to unlearn because they are not allowed to go around improperly. Worth learning how to do this method, saves you a lot of training time.
Oh we are definitely still in those initial sessions, so yes I was being a bit nice to her. She came to me knowing absolutely nothing. So far her one baby tantrum consisted of deciding to flop down for a nap…I’ll admit to having a little giggle before insisting we get on with it.
I long line my other horse but she basically lunges herself so any lack of coordination on my part doesn’t matter so much. I’m a little worried about dropping a line or the whip or both.
Anyway, I think yesterday we made some good progress. And that was with the distraction of the paddock right next to the arena being mowed. She’s got a very sensible sort of brain.
