Why Lunging?

“Lunging” are physical and mental exercises, which building stronger, balanced and forward horse on the ground on a line (direct rein to the halter), while giving him a definite job and place to go.There are a lot of ways to accomplish this. “Use your imagination. How can you engage your horses body and mind during the time you spend on the ground?
Begin by changing your thinking. Instead of thinking “Lunge”, think “Send”. Send your horse forward like you would send him to his stall or trailer.

“With the rise in popularity of natural horsemanship methods where the horse is usually worked loose in a round pen, the tradition of lunging a horse as the basis for its training and preparation for ridden work has perhaps lost popularity in recent years. However, lunging a horse properly has certain attributes which make it gymnastically a far superior method of training to loose work”.

Lunging a horse well is the ideal basis of all training because it develops the strength and straightness required for a horse to carry a rider without damaging effects. It is essential that the lunging is carried out in the right way for it to be beneficial.

Lunging the horse on a line should not be only a physical exercise, but a mental exercise as well.
There are a lot of ways to accomplish this. “Use your imagination. Send your horse away like you would send him to his stall, trailer or drinking water hole. Give him a definite job to do and a definite place to go.
Lunging can be made more interesting by simply moving. You don’t have to stay in one place. If you are in the arena, send your horse out into a circle. After a couple times around, start to drift. Make your way towards the other end of the arena. Now work your way back. These are the kind of things that will keep your horses mind interested and engaged. Teach your horse to change directions at the end of the line.
Obstacles and uneven terrain are also great things to incorporate into your program.

Send your horse out to the end of the line. Then drift towards a jump or obstacle. Now your horse is going to begin to look where he is going. He will be thinking all the way down to his feet. Do you have a hillside, creek bed or other uneven terrain? Send your horse up and over or down and through some of these things.

 

 

Send your horse around a tree, pole or post. Allow that tree to change his direction. Step to the other side and send him off the other way. Practice all these things at shorter lengths with some slack of the rope at first and increase the length as you and your horse gain proficiency. Start with a 12 foot lead rope. Lunging does not have to be a boring activity. It can be exciting for you and your horse. Remember: Exercise his mind. His body will follow!

For the horse to move forward he need to flex his joints and leave the ground. Jumping is one of the most beautiful and athletic activities horses are capable of. Walking, jogging and loping over poles teaches a horse to balance himself, pick up his feet and figure things out for himself. Pole work also increases a horse’s muscle tone and flexibility, and helps him learn how to adjust his stride.

The most important advantage of lunging is that it makes it possible to work the horse on the correct bend. A horse’s natural way of balancing and aligning his body through a turn is very different from what is balanced for carrying a rider. Naturally, horses bend their body against the turn – with their head and quarters bent out, and their belly falling inwards – and usually they lean into the turn. This may be an efficient way of balancing for a horse without a rider.