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.

Is Warming up Horses Necessary?

I received a phone call from Colleen, a lady who had previous called me to order some Functional Tie Rings and we ended up talking for almost an hour on ground training. This time her question was "is it necessary to warm up horses by lunging them before you ride them."

I told Colleen, that the short answer was 'yes' in my opinion, if at all practical and possible. I liken warming up a horse to me getting out of bed in the morning. Long gone are the day's I can swing my legs out, tie on some running shoes and go for a run. These days it takes me one cup of strong coffee and 50 minutes of stretching before I feel I can face my chores.

Warming up, horses or humans, helps get the blood circulating and making the muscles, joints and soft connective tissue more pliable and less prone to injuries. Warming up can also reduce pain. I think horses are no different than humans in this regard. And warming up a horse, if we pay attention, can show us where they are having problems, stiffness, lameness and such. Warming up is not just a physical thing, but again, if we pay attention, a warmup period can help focus on the horse on the handler who becomes a rider shortly thereafter. Can help make for a safer ride.

Lunging, either using a long lead rope or lunge line, or free lunging, what some people call lunging at liberty, is one way to warm up horses, not the only way. Before we even halter a horse and lead him to where we are going to saddle up, we have to approach the horse. This in and of itself is a opportunity to remind and re-establish leadership with the horse. Once haltered and leading, we can use that to help the horse focus on us - correcting an improper leading position; stopping; backing; having the horse stand when there is no feel in the lead rope; correcting the horse if he becomes distracted. I would just caution not to make a federal offense out of anything, just correct him with as minimum pressure as necessary. All this takes maybe an extra 2 minutes, so there is not really a reason not to do it.

Once I have saddled a horse, some times my warmup on him is just riding at a walk for a bit, stopping and backing, disengaging his front end, moving his front end over, giving me softness in lateral and vertical flexion. Some times, I dismounted nd stretch a horse out. Other times on other horses, who need it and could benefit from it, my warm up may be lunging usually with the lead end of the mecate reins. Any time you are asking something from the horse which is usually be directing his feet - providing you are giving him clear cues - serves the purposes of getting that horse connected to you, so warming up both is a physical and mental benefit to the horse.