The Time, Place and Reasons for Lunging

I received two questions these past couple weeks relating to lunging. Kathy wrote "Do you still make lunge lines? I have been using what I think is a dressage lunge line that is flat just kind of difficult to hold onto when I lunge my horse so I'm looking for another rope type lunge line". The second question was when MK asked "where does lunging fit in to my ground work and how often do or should I lunge a horse?"

First of all. Let's settle on the term "Lunging". Most people would think of lunging is having a horse on the end of a line and driving it in circles, such as in a round pen. No, I do not make lunge lines, which I often called driving lines, anymore. Other places are offering these tools which are better quality than I can make and well worth the cost. Craig Cameron offers a pair of 25 foot driving lines, here is the link: https://www.craigcameronstore.com/product24.html

A person could use one of these driving lines if they wanted to conventionally lunge a horse on the end of the a long line. Yet, you would still have two driving lines in case you wanted to ground drive a horse. Ground driving a horse and lunging a horse which would see about the same amount of use, pretty much minimal, in preparing a horse. But they are good tools to have on hand and if you work with a lot of horses, maybe they get used. I'll address that further.

My reasoning on Lunging Initially, lunging a very green or even unhandled horse, is something I'll do and find useful to me. However, sometimes depending on the horse's energy and anxiety, I'll just let them loose in a round pen and allow them to trot or canter circles to get used to me. Periodically, I'll get in front of the horse and turn them in the other direction, which usually results in a horse turn away me from putting his butt to me. I accept that for the first session. I work to get the horse stopping and facing up, but many times they won't be faced upped with both eyes on me. Sometimes it'll just be a eye but you can tell from the demeanor that curiosity is beginning to replace anxiety or fear. I'll often walk in and get a touch on the horse then back away. I may move the horse around again, or re-approach and tie a long line (22 to 25 foot driving line) to the halter - I used rope halters with tied on 12 to 14 foot lead ropes so I simply untie the lead to tie on the long line. Then I'll drive the horse and use the long line, which gives me leverage and safety, to stop and give to pressure, pulling them to a turn to face me up. These pulls are just pulls and not jerks. I'll let the long line get taunt then pull. If everything goes well, that may be the last time I use a long line. I'll switch back to a 12-14 foot lead rope and do much the same as the horse gets more comfortable with being on the end of a line, more comfortable with me close to him and starting to understand giving to pressure of me pulling it to a stop and facing up.

On the 12-14 foot lead rope as I'm asking them to stop, and turn to face up, I am asking the horse to untrack (sometimes called disengage) his back end by stepping underneath himself with the inside hind foot and over (in front of) the outside hind foot. I'll do this on a green horse until there is progress with the horse giving to pressure on the lead line to stop and face up, and he untracks his back end. Progress will be reflected with the horse being less bracy on the lead line, and the head not flying up in reaction to the pressure. I work to ask him to stop and face up with diminishing pressure to match his understanding of what I'm asking. Nobody wants horse who every time a lead line of rein is picked up, the head flies up in reaction to the pressure. On older horses this is usually a reaction to feeling the pressure and expecting pain following the initial signal. This is the place to get a green horse expecting fair and soft handling which will develop into moving on a soft feel.

As the horse develops a better understanding, The lunging on a 12-14 foot lead rope becomes moving them in circles with the intent of the horse tipping his head slightly to the inside, moving on a loose lead line and putting the inside hind foot on the ground underneath himself. If the horse puts his head to the outside and straightens out (takes the slack out of) the lead line, as the lead line becomes taunt I'll bump his head back to the inside and again offer a loose lead line.

On free lunging. Once I get a saddle on a green horse, I turn them loose to move (walk, trot or even lope) circles in the round pen......whatever they need to do. Some will buck a few times then settle down to trotting. Some may buck several times around the round pen. This is normal. Big change to their lives with something strapped to their back and often creaking or slapping them some. On an interesting note, there is this where a well known horseman, who I highly respect, but I did not agree with when he said you once you turn a green horse loose with a saddle on, you have to do whatever you can to not let him buck. And he demonstrated re-directing the a colt bucking with a saddle by getting in front of him and using a flag. From my perspective, he was successful in getting the horse to change direction but not to stop bucking, and all I think he did was to raise the horse's anxiety or fear level. I just prefer to let them run around and buck. One or two turns of the round pen and they are usually done with bucking as they figure out they don't need to buck. The 2 year old sorrel horse in the photos, Zeke, was a pretty funny exception. He was a very quiet horse through ground work but once I put the saddle on the turned him loose, he ran around 6 or 8 times around the round pen bucking the whole time, then I drew him to me and he trotted up and started bucking in place. I couldn't do much for a minute or two since I was laughing so hard. So I'm getting off track here, back to free lunging.

Sometimes, after I saddle up a riding horse or even a colt who has had a few rides, I will sometimes use the round pen to let him move around warming up. In my reasoning this is halfway between the horse being left alone in his pen, and you riding him, as you have a saddle on him. but you are not tearing up any country. I have said before in other writings that if you ride a horse, it's worth it to warm him up. And while this is also warming up his mind, reminding he horse that you will soon on his back and directing him, it also allows the rider to see if there are any lameness or gait issues.

Most often on a riding horse after saddling I will direct him with the lead end of the mecate reins in circles at a walk and trot, stopping, untracking his rear end, bringing his front end over and going the other direction for the same reason's I warm a horse up. If gives a horse a chance to let some air out, and allows me to re-tighten the front cinch as it loosens just a bit as the horse's relaxes some. So I'm trying to get something out of the horse while giving something fair. I think if you aren't lunging with a purpose in mind the horse will likely figure that out and becomes distracted from you.

Lateral Flexion in a Colt's first few rides

I picked up a 2 year old sorrel gelding last year at a sale. I was really happy to have the winning bid on him, kind of surprised that he was overlooked by other bidders on the other two year olds, who all had smaller heads, small bones and feet, and narrow chests. I chose him for his wide chest, thick bone structure and big feet.

He is highly bred and I was just as happy a kid in a candy factory. Thats him at the top right photo. I was really anxious to get him going. I tried to start him a couple times but to due to more important things involving my late wife this past summer, fall and even winter, he sat neglected until recently. So now he is coming three in May and I have done a decent ground work and put a few rides on him.



Before I swung a leg over, I had him following a soft feel on a lead rope in backing, coming forward, disengaging his back end, moving his front end over, coming to the fence to pick me up, going quietly through gates, untracking him with the lead around his outside rump and asking him to follow that feel through the bend. I got him pretty soft in the face, to drop his head and started him on lateral flexion which I needed for direction when I put the first ride on him and certainly for rides outside the round corral. He was fairly bracey on one side, going to his left. I thought that I would help him get a better understanding on lateral flexion once I had the first ride on him. So, I swung a leg over and moved out. 

Well, everybody has heard that horses are going to be better on one side than the other. But I have never had a horse with the difference in one side to the other, than this horse, who I named Zeke. While just sitting in the saddle and asking for him to follow a feel for lateral flexion, to his right he willingly tipped his nose then head when I asked for lateral flexion, but to the left he still had a brace and a pretty stubborn brace at that.

I was pretty surprised and his reluctance to give him his head and spent a lot of time trying to figure out the why and the how to get him better. He easily went into a nice trot and really didn't have a problem keeping the trot unlike some other young horses. When I ask a young horse to give me a trot and if he wants to stop, I don't nit pick at him, instead letting I let him settle down then asking again for the trot but Zeke was pretty good from the get go. One key is that I always asked him for wide turns in changing direction and he was good at that which did not require a lot of lateral flexion. I was riding him in snaffle bit with big slobber straps and mecate reins. All in all, I am pleased with him. Smart horse (aren't they all?), but yet the brace continued.

- click on the photo above to enlarge - 

Knowing that I couldn't just work on lateral flexion all day - it would lead to frustration for both of us - I was riding just letting him get more comfortable in what he could already do without trouble. What I found that in the trot when I ask for softness tipping his nose and head to the left, he was better and go even better. Still some brace, but again getting better. So, it kind of goes back to the old adage that you need forward momentum out of a horse in order to build an understanding. He's no exception. And he is gaining confidence with carrying me around and responding as long as I don't overload him. I make sure I quit him on something he does well and is quiet and soft about. There is SO much joy in starting a young green horse. I hope many of you get that chance.  

Getting on with Living

After losing my wife to cancer 5 months ago, a terrible disease that came back on her with a vengeance that took us all by surprise, and the subsequent things that accompany a loss of your spouse,....profound grief, funeral arrangements; communicating with the Army of support that surrounded her and I,....the seemingly never ending legal issues; going through property for donations; catching up all tasks left undone; and, feeling bad about the horses only getting minimal attention, I have been getting reacquainted with my horses after several months of minimal attention. I am reminded of the saying that "the outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man". Nothing could be truer.

What has helped me get through these tough times is the love of people who knew Susan, my belief that she was received by Jesus Christ on her passing, and rediscovering my love for horses. I am thankful for God to allowing me the time he has given me, the trust in me for caring for His animals and the joy I can feel riding and working with my horses.

I am often asked my people how you get through the loss of your spouse and the first word that comes to mind is gratefulness. Sounds kind of strange using that word in a place of intense grief and sorrow, but if a person isn't grateful for what they have been given, be it health, mobility, means to live comfortably, and animals to travel this journey with you, then the ungrateful person is likely not to cope very well.

So I am back to riding everyday, sometimes 2 or even 3 different horses, enjoying every understanding the horses' have, even if it is preceded by days of not getting it. Enjoying learning, relearning even if it's my riding and understandings that need to be fixed.

Be thankful and find joy in your daily life. There are so many who are in such a dark place, where the finding or rediscovering of joy is near impossible for them. I am incredibly thankful I am not one of them. Safe Journey with your horses!