One of Those Days

You go to the barn, excited to get a ton done on your horse. It appears to be the perfect day; the sky is clear, it's sunny but not super warm, birds are singing, it seems to be a great day for a ride. You softly sing a song to yourself as you walk out to the pasture where your gelding waits. You grab the halter off the gate and enter the pasture, ready to go "catch" your horse. He takes one look at you and tears the other way.

Oookay, maybe not so perfect after all. Oh well. You do your best and fifteen minutes later, he's tied up in the barn and your grooming him. However, you still can't shake the feeling that he didn't get it all out after his marathon running in the pasture. You get on without lunging anyway.

Hardly five minutes into the warm-up and you're in the middle of an extreme battle with your horse, clinging to the saddle like there's no tomorrow. Great job on living like it's all you got, not so much on the planning.

Anyone else have that happen? We're equestrians, this is our life and you would think we would learn. I guess not! After all, it's nice to think that you can just ride through the disaster. (^.~) Some days, it's all you can do to stay in the saddle.

However, what about those days when it's poor planning and the only thing you think you can do about it is lunge? But what if you're against lunging? Here is my guide to it and what you should do about it. Disclaimer: All information is based on opinion and scientific fact.

Lunging 101 - Why:

- Lunging is a fantastic way to give your horse, pony, mule, donkey, mini, or whatever type of equine you have the chance to have controlled "playtime" before work. If your equine has a ton of energy, then it's a great way to let him get it out. They can buck their heart out on the lunge line, which is waaaaay more prefered than when you're in the saddle. (Less chance of falling off, right?)

- Lunging helps with warming up your horse while also giving them time to spend all that extra energy that they have pent up inside them. Warm-ups in the saddle will go much faster after a 5-10 minutes session of lunging, since then, their muscles are loose and their blood is flowing smoothly and you only need to get them listening.

- Lunging can also be an excellent training tatic. Lots of people train their horse on the lunge line the "fancy stuff" like collection, lengthening and shortening of strides, and learning how to stop on a dime. There are lots of videos online on how to do this, but please make sure your learning from an actual trainer, and not some "Margo" from Hepner-Hart. You REALLY don't want to accidentally be abusing your horse. Yes, there is a difference between "tough love" and "abuse." Make sure you know it.

- If you are unable to ride for whatever reason and can't find someone to work your horse for you, before you start a in-hand lesson with a super fresh horse, lunging is great to warm them up and work on new stuff that you can do on the ground on the lunge line.

Lunging 101 - Timing:

- You shouldn't lunge for more than 20 minutes. If you do, then they can get bored and start to misbehave, which is the opposite effect of what you want.

- You want lunging to be at least a fairly enjoyable experience for the horse. Lunging for too long makes it frustrating for the animal and they will start to fight it. This only makes it harder for both you and the horse.

- Lunge before your ride, so you're not exercising a tired horse. Lunging is meant to spend release extra energy and attitude. It is to be used as a training method and a warm-up at most, never a cool-down. Lunging raises the pulse and respiratory rates. If you can't ride them and you are lunging, then you should at least walk them for about 5 minutes, but it does depend on what you did and how fit your equine is. However, cool-downs should NEVER be below 3 minutes no matter what went on in the lesson.

- Make sure to change the sides up and spend equal time on each side. For Example: If you are lunging for 20 minutes, spend 10 circling to the left, then 10 to the right.

Lunging 101 - The Bad Stuff:

- It is indeed true that too much of a good thing turns bad. The same goes for lunging. If you lunge for too long, your horse will get irritated and fight against it.

- Did you know that excessive lunging can cause extreme stress and result in sometimes permanent damage to the legs? Yeah. Think about it; does running in a circle for an hour seem like it will be super great? Lunging should NEVER, EVER, EVER be beyond 30 minutes AT MOST. I'm sure you don't want to hurt your horse, so please keep this in mind.

Lunging 101 - Whip or No?:

- It really depends on what you're doing and your horse. If you are training and your horse is desensitized to a lunge whip, go ahead and use it. Just make sure you know how to use it. If not, try a professional trainer's video of YouTube.

- A whip is a great motivational tool. If your horse is kinda lazy or super disobedient, I suggest using one. It makes all the difference in the world.

- If your horse isn't used to one, better start on that. Whips are the perfect multifunctional aid and are needed for tons of types of trainings.

- Please don't beat your horse senseless.

Lunging 101 - Gear:

- We already went over whips above, and I highly suggest one. However, lunging cavessons are very nice and are completely safe when used properly. They can be used over a bridal since that can be dangerous to have a bit in the mouth when the animal is known to pull and are better than halters. Use the money that you were going to spend on the so called "lunging halter" and put it towards a cavesson.

- Like I said, save your money on a "lunging halter." Instead, if you were going to do that, just use a normal halter. Make sure it's on fairly snug and won't slip off at the slightest tug. (Ok, slight sarcasm there, but I'm sure you get the point.)

- If you like to lunge in a bridal, just know that tends to be a little dangerous. The bit, if the horse pulls hard enough, can be ripped out of the mouth and you can be sure that isn't the best feeling ever. If you are going to do that, do it on a horse that isn't a total monster on the lunge line.

How to lunge in a bridal:

1. First twist the reins around until they start to curve up towards the horse's throat/jaw, then slip the cheek strap through the two twisted reins and buckle it at the appropriate level.

2. Slip the clip of the lunge lead through the first ring of a SNAFFLE bit and under the chin, then clip it to the opposite bit ring. The clip should always be on the bit ring you can't see when you are lunging them. When you go to lunge on the other side, you will need to adjust it so it's proper.

Alright, since I trust that you know how to lunge, that's it! Good luck on your next ride! ^^