“Mastering the Basics: A Guide to Effective Horse Lunging Techniques”
It’s more than just running in a circle……..
To begin, lunging (from either the root word allonge or longa
respectively, both meaning variations of long or lengthen) is defined as:
‘Asking for lengthening, stretching and extension while the horse is
working out and moving in the circle’. Lunging is an exceptionally
important tool. It is a teaching tool, an exercise tool, a bonding tool and
a means to visualize your horse’s movement on a regular basis.
Lunging, as much as it appears to be a simple thing, is actually
complex and has the power to provide great benefit, but also do a lot of
damage. Therefore, it is vitally important that the person who is lunging
knows why they are lunging and how best to lunge in order to achieve
those goals.
Lunging correctly can assist with several things, including:
- Relaxation of the horse
- Exercise without a rider
- Assisting with balance
- Muscle strengthening
- Working on obedience and connection between the horse and
rider
Based on the above, one can see that it would benefit horses of all ages
and in all stages of training to be on a lunging program.
Why Lunge? - Relaxation.
Occasionally, it will happen that your horse may have a few extra bees
in his bonnet. Lunging is a safe way to allow the release of some
energy before putting your safety in the hooves of your half-tonne
partner. - Exercise without a rider
Lunging sans rider allows the horse to warm up his muscles and
stretch over his spine before he is ridden. This reduces the chances of
injuries occuring due to an improper warm-up schedule. This point may
also be valid when a horse is unable to be ridden due to injury etc.
Improving balance
Before a horse can safely carry a rider, he should be well balanced
enough to cope with the added weight. Lunging in a circle assists with
this.
Developing strength.
Lunging encourages muscles to develop correctly without the outside
influence of tack and a rider, and is important as a strengthening tool.
Working on obedience and connection between the horse and rider
Aside from strengthening the bond between horse and rider,
lunging allows you to train your horse using voice commands,
which limits confusion when riding. I am a big fan of using voice
commands, both on the ground and in the saddle. Horses respond
to the words that you choose, but the most important part of the
command is your tone of voice.
What Will You Need?
● A suitable round pen or ring, especially when teaching a horse to lunge or
when free-lunging
● A cavesson or bridle (see our affiliate’s range of beautiful bridles here)
● A lunge whip and a lunge line
● A pair of gloves to fend off rope-burn
● 1 x horse (often the most expensive part)
The All-Important ‘How To’
The below guide is assuming that your horse is already familiar
with the basics of lunging. For step-by-step advice on how to teach
a young or inexperienced horse to lunge, we will soon have a short
e-book available here (watch this space).
When you lunge your horse, it may be best that your horse wears a
bridle, halter or a cavesson to attach your lead rein to. It is also
advisable to have a lunge whip with you, even if you think you will
not need it. To begin, step away from the horse while continuing to
face him, ensuring that you do not let him follow you. Try to keep
behind your horse’s shoulder and extend the whip towards and
slightly behind the quarters to encourage him to step forward.
After your horse is walking around you in a circle, you can gradually
allow him to make the circle bigger by pointing your whip towards
his shoulder. This will also prevent your horse from falling in
towards you. Remember, the whip is NOT a punishment. If your
horse is afraid of it, chances are that you have not been using it for
its intended purpose as a tool.
Once your horse is walking nicely at your preferred distance, you
can focus on the quality of your warm-up. Begin by asking for a
nice, active walk towards the left. Follow this up by dropping your
whip and allowing your horse to come in towards you. You can use
the same process described above to ask your horse to walk on the
right rein for ten minutes.
After warming up for 20 minutes, I always follow the same process
again at the trot (although for a shorter period), rewarding the horse
with my voice when he stretches down and relaxes nicely into the
movement. If the horse is ready and balanced enough for canter, I
will then ask for a few minutes of canter on both sides, aiming for a
good stretch over the back muscles while ensure he canters on the correct lead and is not disunited.
Keep in mind that an unfit horse will need a long warm-up and cool-down, but will
probably not be able to spend as long a time trotting and/or
cantering as mentioned above.
While you go, remember that body language and voice cues are
the ways you will be communicating with your horse. It is important
to keep a contact with the lungeline and to remain behind the
horse’s shoulder in order to ‘drive’ him forwards. I also always
advise my students to remain alert and to anticipate what action the
horse is going to take next. You need to be faster than him to
prevent him from suddenly stopping, coming in towards you, taking
off or changing direction.
As your horse begins to become a lungeing master who is strong
and supple in equal measures, you will be able to add in certain
exercises in order to further improve the goals discussed at the
beginning of this blog. These include:
● Practicing transitions between gaits
● Shortening and lengthening of the stride within each gait
● Altering the size of the circle
● Lungeing over poles
Don’t forget to create a training plan for yourself. I found that this
way of doing things kept me focused on my goals and I was able
to fit lunging into my riding schedule as well. I always lunged my
horses first after they had enjoyed a day off.
Now that we have covered the basics of what can only be
described as an intricate artform, I am sure you are champing at
the bit to get out there and start practicing! Just remember,
lunging is about so much more than just running around in a
circle. It is a crucial building-block to creating a well-rounded riding
horse and, if you dismiss it out of your training program, your
horse may well dismiss you right onto the seat of your pants!
Author: Dinja van Woerden (rider and trainer)
