Effective Lungeing
Lungeing needs to be done well to be effective, as Fiona Cameron eplains. 

Lungeing is not just a way of exercising your horse can but be used to encourage forward movement and improve his respect for you on the ground. Without the rider interfering, the horse is not confused by their aids and can develop muscles without brain strain. But lungeing should not consist of endless boring circles that you both find tedious. Bringing in trotting poles or a jump will test him further and keep his interest. Pairs of cones to go through, scary objects to pass and practising transitions can all increase the usefulness of lungeing.  Then there are all the gadgets you can use to encourage the ideal head carriage and help the horse use his back and hindquarters correctly. 

Most importantly, lungeing needs to be done well to be effective.  Even if you have lunged for a while you may have become untidy and slack with the technique and signals.  What exactly are you asking the horse to do and does he respond well each time?  Endlessly calling “walk” to a horse that continues trotting around, oblivious to the verbal command, shows both of you may need a tune up with your lungeing.  The horse should respond to your cues, otherwise you are asking incorrectly, or he doesn’t understand, or is ignoring you.

You’ll need a lunge line or rope of similar length ( 6 metres approximately) and not too thick with a clip attached, lungeing whip and a halter or lungeing cavesson.  The halter should be tight enough not to twist around and rub the horse’s eye.  If the horse responds lightly to the rope he won’t pull away and cause this problem.  Some people attach the line directly to the bit on a bridle and this is fine in an enclosed space if you are an experienced horse person.  But the horse could get caught in the line or stand on it and wrench the bit, which would damage the mouth, so it is not worth the risk if you are inexperienced or the horse could take off.  If you want more control, attaching the line to the bit is not the answer.  More respect will give you more control. If you want to lunge with the bridle on, put a halter on first, the bridle over the top, twist the reins and thread them through the throat latch to keep them out the way.

Lunge in an enclosed area to ensure if ever the horse gets loose he won’t go galloping and become tangled in the lunge line.  Choose a flat area with good footing; on a slope the speed is harder to control.  Be careful when using bark arenas or on wet grass, as they can be slippery and the horse could fall.

There are different methods on how to lunge, but to lunge effectively you need a beginning, clear signals or cues and a definite finishing point.

Shuffling around to the back of your horse to chase him away is an unclear signal to start that he may misunderstand and which won’t encourage respect.  Moving backwards confuses a horse, making him circle close or come toward the person lungeing, who then gets frustrated and pushes the horse out again on the circle only to start the scenario all over again.

For the horse’s sake you need to be clear and consistent.  It is unfair to grumble about his performance if your skills are not up to scratch.  Tidy up your performance and your horse will too.

Start by having your horse’s attention. This is the beginning; without this there will be no improvement. He should be directly in front and facing you.  If he looks away, nudge him back with the rope.  Reward him by stroking his face when he is still and attentive.  Repeat until he stands quietly facing you.  By having his attention on you it is clear he must listen to you.  Show him the lunge whip, let him smell it, rub it over his body and flick it over his back.  This will show him the whip is not something to be scared of.  You will use it as a tool to signal what he is to do.

Next you will need to teach your horse to back up, come forward and yield the hindquarters. These exercises will give you the control and respect you need to lunge effectively

Practise asking your horse to back away from you about 3 - 4 metres.  Shake the rope from side to side, gently at first and with more energy if he doesn’t respond.  Match the energy you use with the horse, less for a nervous horse, more for a pushy, confident or stubborn one.  Stop shaking it when he moves that far.  Or use the lunge whip if you prefer, tap it on the ground in front of you or swish it back and forth low to the ground.  He needs to be a whip’s distance from you to do this so start shaking the rope, then use the whip.  You want to stand still, he has to back away from you.  This is a powerful exercise – a horse only backs away from a more dominant member of the herd.  Your body language should encourage this by standing confident and straight with a bossy, “move now” look on your face.

	Going to the left, pick up the rope in that hand and point where you want him to go
	The horse should follow your instructions and move out and around you in that direcion
	To bring him back in when he is going to the left, run your left hand down the rope, look at his hindquarters and he will face you
	Put your hand up as a signal to stop if he rushes up to you or you want to keep him back from you ready to go out again

Once he understands to back away, make sure he stays there a few minutes, correcting him if he comes forward or loses attention.  Then invite him back to you by drawing him in with pressure on the rope, releasing the pressure when he steps forward.  Lower your shoulders, soften your eyes and he will come up to you.  Raise your hand in front of you as a stop command if he marches up and doesn’t look like stopping.  Practise a few times still he goes back and comes in exactly how you ask. Now check you can yield your horse’s hindquarters without touching them. You will need this when asking him to stop and come in and if he is not listening or gets out of control. Holding the rope, walk around to the back of your horse, look at his hindquarters with that bossy dominant look, and ask him to yield them. Yielding is crossing one hind leg under the other, moving them away while pivoting on the front leg nearest you and still keeping his head and eyes on you without pressure on the rope. When you stop he should once again be lined up straight in front of you. Make sure he yields from either side. If he doesn’t respond, tap his hindquarters with the whip and stop tapping when he does.

Once he backs up, comes forward and yields the hindquarters you’re ready to start.  Back the horse away from you and let him stand for a while, to teach him patience.  Don’t let the horse start lungeing till you ask. Block him with the whip if he heads off to one side, or back him up if he comes forward.

Hold the rope in your left hand, whip in the right.  Going to the left, look in that direction, pick up the rope and the horse should follow your instructions and move.  If he doesn’t, use the whip by tapping on his shoulder to encourage him to go, stop tapping when he does.  This is a safe way to start lungeing, with the horse going out and around you instead of barging past you or possibly catching you with a kick as he goes.

As he circles you, walk around as well in a small circle, keeping your eye on him and watch you walk forward, not back.  Walking forward with that bossy look again will ensure he  stays out there, respects you and clearly says to him you are the leader.  Walk back and he will misbehave, try to push or come in. Watch you don’t come in front of the movement of the horse; stay behind his shoulder.

Do a couple of circuits, drop the whip, put the rope coils in the right hand, run the left had down the rope, look at the hindquarters and he will face you.  Put your hand up as a signal to stop where he is, or soften your eyes and invite him in.  Don’t let him rush up to you.  Decide which you want and vary it but always make sure you know what you want first so neither of you is confused.

Try in the other direction, swapping hands.  Depending on whether you are left or right handed, one way will be easier for you than the other.  Similarly, the horse may be less supple on one side than the other but do both sides even amounts of time.  Whips and ropes seem awkward at first but practise is the best way to improve this.

For the full story on Effective Lungeing, which includes slowing down and transitions – check out this months issue, in store now!