How to Lunge a Horse to Prepare for Riding

This is a video designed to help teach you how to lunge/longe/loenge your horse to prepare him to be ridden. The contemporary modes of lunging are generally designed to exercise the horse rather than mentally collect him. Lunging for Riding is designed to create focus. We have seen horses airplaning on the end of lungelines, looking like they will be impossible to ride, turn into docile, interested, obedient horses the minute they were handed from a typical lunger to someone lunging in the Lunging for Riding fashion. Natural horsemanship lunging has its place, but this style of lunging is not about respect nor about play. It's simply about touch communication.

Before teaching your horse to lunge, teach him the flexions up close so he understands the aids. You can use a whip to stimulate movement but the horse's reaction to the whip is unreliable so should be used as a training aid, and ultimately phased out.

The reason the aids are given on a circle is that horses often respond with less opposition to intermittent pressure than steady pressure. The intermittent pressure coveys the idea that you are interested in getting the message to the mind as opposed to forcing a reaction out of the body. The circle also physically has the effect of loosening the horse's joints so their is space for the horse to move into. The size and direction of the circle allows you to specify where you place the looseness.

The reason the aids are given with rhythm is that rhythmical motion elicits a rhythmical reaction. A haphazard or impatient aid will elicit a haphazard or impatient reaction. It is also easier for the joints to loosen when you give a rhythmical aid because the muscles do not brace around the joint.

For an upward transition (ie., halt/walk, walk/trot): Rotate the hand holding the lead rope in a forward circle, continue circling with rhythm until the horse responds appropriately

For a downward transition (ie., canter/trot, trot/walk): Rotate the hand holding the rope upwards and backwards, think of elevating the horse's head so that he will be inclined to rock backwards, make the motion circular with rhythm

For a halt: Lift straight up on the lead, hold in elevated position, ignoring forwards or sideways movement, keep elevated until the horse stops

If you clicker train your horse for correct responses to the aids, they will become more meaningful sooner on in the training. Click for particularly clean, enthusiastic responses, or click for a particular speed of gait. The possibilities are endless.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• natural+horsemanship
• clicker+training
• dressage
• lunging
• loenging
• longeing
• horse+training
• how+to
• lunge+a+horse
• horseback+riding
• prepare
• ridden
• ride
• riding+preparation
• prepare+for+riding
• warm+up

[CIEStudies]

It would indeed be more safe to have the reins put up. It was not necessary in this situation with this horse, but it is a good practice.

About the stick: Lauren did keep the stick up when she did not need to. It takes time to learn the coordination of all the skills.

We are not attempting to show the perfect way to do anything. Instead, it is mean as an insight into the learning process.

[CIEStudies]

In response to concerns about the use of stirrups in this situation:

Lauren was not trying to longe Montana. She was using longing to prepare him for being ridden. This is the reason the stirrups were left down. Montana has the opportunity to lean how it feels to have things touching his side in a safe situation. It is likely that he will one day have a branch, a foot, or something else touch his side with much more force than the stirrups did in this video. We want him to be prepared for that

[summamarchant]

whats rong wid its skin ?

[CIEStudies]

He is a red roan. There is nothing wrong with his skin.

[AnimalLover2456]

this is great!!!! yeah i love your horse!!!1 but whats wrong with her or his sides??? or is that markings

[CIEStudies]

Yeah, those are markings. He is a Red Roan.

[willyf11]

The horse is about to have a person sitting on its backk :L Im sure it doesnt mine some stirrups tapping on his sides!

[Pylamos]

you should fasten the reins before lunging.

[MrNativeDancer]

Good video! There is no need for whipping a horse. All whipping does is confuse the horse, destroys trust, leads behavioural problems (Look at racing for example)..Some horses wont even go into the stalls next time if they have been whipped during a race and reluctant to race etc.Happy horses are always more responsive and perform much better. Never ever beat or injure the horse with a whip. One day the horse is likely to lash out from frustration.

[lindaposthumus08]

And pompeed, you are just rude. Plain and simple.

[lindaposthumus08]

Geeze u guys have to tone down the critique! They did a great job. It might be a different form of lunging than I am used to in tx. But they knew what they were talking about. And know what they are doing. So stop nitpicking.

[03firefly]

@ThunderEquus He did stop, and that's what she wanted. By rewarding it, he knows that 'yes, I do need to stop when she does that.' The next time they stop and he's no rewarded, he may realize he needs to stop differently.

[TheDollyMommaClicks]

@Pompeed What do you see that is problematic?

[TheDollyMommaClicks]

@TeamMcKinley123 Likely because the horse was "broken" using "traditional" methods and is only now learning the new methods. With a 9 year old mare I just got 3 months ago, she was supposedly ridden for roping, but I have started from the ground up with her using positive reinforcement methods, so she seems "green". Not very nice to ask questions and then make assumptions before getting an answer.

[Wellington5392]

A stick made of carrots? Mmmm, yummy for the horses!

[xxCollectedCanterxx]

@CIEStudies This does help a bit. I have always lunged before but now I know why it is a good idea to keep the stirrups down! Thanks for the help :)

[XxOperaGhostxX]

@summamarchant What's wrong with your keyboard that you cannot type properly?