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How To Lunge A Schooled Horse
How To Lunge A Schooled Horse: VideoJug help you discover how to lunge your horse in a clear, correct and safe manner. With advice from certified instructress Maylyn McEwan, VideoJug show you how to lunge a schooled horse in this simple step by step guide.
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Step 1:
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The benefits of lunging
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There are multiple benefits to the practise of lunging. Firstly, it's a great way to exercise a fresh horse before riding him. It is also a very important part of the training process of a young horse as well as a varied form of exercise and is particularly useful when the horse or rider have been injured. But most importantly, it really does improves your horse's 'way of going', which means it's a great tool, to help improve your horse's rhythm and movement. However, if this is your first time lunging, you will need supervision.
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Step 2:
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Tack you will need
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So what tack is needed? A schooled horse, already used to lunging, would wear a normal bridle with the noseband and reins taken off and with a cavesson underneath. One of the benefits of lunging off a cavesson is that you don't ruin your horse's lovely soft mouth! A saddle or roller can be used with a breastplate to stop them slipping backwards. And brushing boots should also be worn on all four legs to prevent him kicking himself whilst on a circle.
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Step 3:
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Side reins are optional. They help the horse to get used to rider-rein contact.
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Step 4:
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Correctly fitting the cavesson
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To correctly fit a cavesson place two fingers under the projecting cheekbone. The side straps fit underneath the cheek pieces to block pressure points. But they must be fitted very firmly or the cavesson will slip into your horse's eyes!
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Step 5:
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Attach the side reins
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To fit the side reins, attach them to the girth, by passing them under the three straps and then back under the first strap to stop them slipping down. The more schooled and trained the horse is, the higher the side reins should be.
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Step 6:
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To correctly assess how high to put the reins, look at your horse whilst his neck is in its natural position, whilst standing and see if the side reins exert a contact without you having to pull the head in. However, if this is your first time lunging with side reins do not over tighten them as some horses panic! Next, make sure that both side reins are have been equally fitted, unclip them from the bit and then clip them back onto the saddle or roller. Finally if you choose to use a saddle, twist up the stirrup leathers to stop them falling down.
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Step 7:
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Equipment you will need
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The equipment needed to lunge is a lunge line and a lunge whip.
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Step 8:
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Correct attire
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The rider should always wear a hat, gloves and some sturdy footwear. This is obviously for safety reasons as some horses can get very excited on the lunge!
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Step 9:
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Begin lunging procedure
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Take your horse to the middle of a large enclosed area, at least 20m (65 feet) in diameter and it must be a non-slip surface. Remember that side reins should never be worn when leading the horse for safety reasons.
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Step 10:
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Position yourself on your horse's left side, without the side reins being clipped on. Your lunge line should be wound up neatly in your left hand and the whip in your right hand. Reassure your horse by stroking his shoulder before proceeding. Patting doesn't actually make much sense to a horse whereas stroking or scratching is normal horse communication! Then quietly ask him to walk away, pointing the whip towards his hind quarters. Allow him, without any restriction on the lunge to walk onto a large circle.
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Step 11:
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Using your voice
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The use of voice is very important when schooling, as horses have keen hearing. You need to use a high tone for an upward transition and a low deep voice for a downward transition. Do not worry if your horse offers canter if he is well balanced. Just be aware that lunging on a circle for a long period of time, puts a great strain on your horse legs and joints. If your horse is excitable he could easily slip over and injure himself.
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Step 12:
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Change rein
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After five minutes on the left rein repeat exactly as before on the right rein, still without the side reins. As you change the rein, halt him in the circle by use of voice, then quickly gather in the lunge line into your opposite hand and calmly walk towards the horse. The lunge line should be now correct and straight ready for the change of rein. If your horse is of the excitable species put the whip underneath your arm, pointing backwards away from your horse and after each change of rein, stroke your horse on the shoulder.
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Step 13:
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At this point, it is advisable to stay out of the kick zone! But do not take a step backwards as the horse sees this as a weakness in leadership! Keeping him calm, warm him up for roughly five minutes on the right rein by doing some transitions from walk to trot and trot to walk. Use of voice encourages the pace. Now that he's warmed up we can clip on the side reins.
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Step 14:
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Correctly working the horse
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The perfect position for lunging is to imagine a triangle with your horse as the base, the whip and lunge as the sides and the trainer/handler positioned at the apex, opposite or slightly behind the horse's shoulder.
As in riding the horse he needs to work from behind, meaning that he is powered from his back end. Don't ever be tempted to pull your horse around the circle! Ideally, you want to have an elastic contact on the lunge line. To check that he is working from behind, in walk, he should be 'over tracking'.
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Step 15:
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This simply means that the print of the hind feet step over the print of the front feet as we see now. In trot, the horse should 'track up'. This is when the print of the hind feet step into the prints of the front feet. The horse should be calm and rhythmical but forward going, or easily moving forward. If your horse is under tracking he may need more impulsion. By using your voice, in the way we showed you earlier, along with the whip, will help to activate him. As will doing lots of transitions.
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Step 16:
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A good way to create impulsion is to spiral your horse down from a fifteen metre circle in diameter to a ten metre circle in diameter and then back out again.
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Step 17:
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If your horse is falling outwards, meaning that he is pulling away, as we are seeing now, exert a contact of a 'give/take', firstly giving and then releasing the line to encourage the horse not to lean inwards. If your horse is falling 'into the circle and cutting corners, then point the whip towards his shoulder to encourage him to step out. Make sure that you never get in front of him and you must be quick to step to the side and push him forward with your voice and whip to send him forward. If he just stops and faces you, quietly gather in the lunge line and start the process once more from the beginning.
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Step 18:
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Try not to crack the whip, or hit your horse with the whip! Flicking it towards his hocks is normally enough to get a reaction
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Step 19:
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Final advice
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Finally, if your horse is unschooled do not lunge him for more than twenty minutes and keep him on a large circle, approximately 20 metres in diameter. When your horse has become more advanced, lunge him for up to half an hour and lunge occasionally on a smaller circle, the minimum being ten metres in diameter,
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Step 20:
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When you've finished, allow him to cool down by walking him until his breathing is no longer laboured. Then un-clip his reins and stroke him once more before finally leading him home.
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