# Do you allow bucking on the lunge line?



## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

My trainer is absolutely against allowing my 3 year old to buck on the lunge line. Her principal is "when he's in the arena, he is never bucking. He is focused and working." I do see her point, but I have barn mates that say "that is when they get to blow off steam - i'd rather the horse buck on the lunge line and get it out of their system before I get on". 

So i have 2 questions:

Do you allow bucking on the lunge line?

If not, how do you correct the horse for doing it?


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## gingerscout (Jan 18, 2012)

don't know about you but I would rather have them buck on the lunge line than under me..LOL. My horse 99% of the time is a saint, but when I do lunge him, especially if hes been off for a week+ he usually gets a good one in, then hes like ok I feel better now, and *knock on wood* hes never done it under saddle in the year I have owned him


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## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

They are never allowed to buck after the first saddling. If you allow this behavior you are teaching the horse it’s OK to buck. 

You correct it by increasing the pressure and pushing the horse into the canter. You make the undesirable behavior difficult by putting the horse to work when he bucks. 

Best of luck


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## ToManyHorsesAndOnePony (Oct 16, 2013)

My fellows will all occasionally buck on the long line. I have zero issues with it. UNLESS they look grumpy about it. If they look nasty I will push them back across the field, if they just look a bit excited I compleatly ignore what they've done and praise a few moments later while they're doing what they should be doing. Doing things this way mine barely ever buck on the line. And never under saddle. If they were doing it the whole time I'd have an issue with that because while it is blow off steam time, this is also a job. And while I don't mind some goofing off I do want them to come down and be serious and work


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Starlite said:


> Do you allow bucking on the lunge line?


Absolutely not. 

When the horse in on the lunge line, they are "working". They are not allowed to goof off, buck, etc while they are "working". 

They can have their play time when they are out in the pasture on their own time. On the lunge line, that's MY time and I expect them to behave.




Starlite said:


> If not, how do you correct the horse for doing it?


Yield the hindquarters. 
Direction changes. 
Gait changes. 
Etc. 

I re-direct their energy to keep them listening to me and do what I ask. But they certainly don't get to stop. Stopping them after they buck teaches them they can stop working after they buck.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I'm in the 'absolutely not' camp.
A horse needs turn out, to buck and play.
When a horse is being lunged, it is 'work time' Lunging can be used to have a horse use up some energy, going the way you expect him to go, far as gaits and frame, while ridden, thus being a learning experience, and making him more ready to ride without you needing to get into his mouth
That is a main reason, events like western pl using lunging way more then reining, as right as soon as you get on, you want that horse ready to work on a loose rein, and in a relaxed manner, versus loping some fast circles for warm up
Warm up,using lunging, should not include bucking, tearing around, horse going at any gait he choses, ect


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

It is very common for young horses to buck at the canter when getting used to a saddle. They usually stop after a time or 2. If bucking past that I could see that being an issue.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I do not allow it.

They are allowed to buck the first time they are saddled, but that is it. If I feel my horse is going to be fractious and needs to burn off some steam, I elect to turn them out before riding rather than lunge. Lunging is for work. For me, the round pen is the same thing. 

As for correcting, it depends. If one bucks, and pulls on me, I am going to take a hold of them and make them yield their hindquarters rather aggressively. If they buck but do not pull it will be an increase in pressure, "chase", etc. I do not use changes in directions as a reprimand however, as if the horse is bucking I have often found that the direction change will amp them up even more so. I will however use the changes to increase the horses focus before the bucking starts or after it has been resolved.


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Absolutely yes, when they are feeling especially spunky, full of themselves and are pulled straight out of their stalls. I prefer them to get it out of their system before they are ridden.

Absolutely not, when they are warmed up, calmed down and ready to work. They know the difference between play time and work time and they need to be allowed both.


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## Exotic (Dec 29, 2014)

(Not a trainer here, but just a fellow horse person so I'm not expert.)
I can see on both sides of the picture.
You want the horse to get steam out, yet he is now in working mode and needs to be concentrating on you and not messing around.
If the horse doesn't get much turnout that could be the problem. If he does get plenty of turnout I would not allow my horse to because he can get that out in the pasture. I did work with some horses in the past that I would turn them loose in the arena first to get the steam off, but not for long. Then we would groom and go into work mode and no more goofing off. For them it helped because they never went outside and got to be just a horse.
As for stopping it I would make sure the horse really understood my body language for cueing them to go and stop. Like my horse I do lots of ground work and I can get him to stop by either bending sideways at his rear and he stops and looks at me or I get tons of energy inside me and do like a quick run then stop in front of the wither line and it stops his forward energy. Kind of hard for me to explain, sorry. But what I would do is every time they buck is stop 'em hard. Not a gradual "ok lets slow down pony" but getting across to them quickly and sharply to "halt right now!". Let them stand there a bit and think about it, do some backing up, yielding body parts, etc. things to get their mind back on you and then start again. On starting back up I would go slow then so you aren't encouraging the bucking energy and excitement which may be why they are bucking. See what makes them tick is the canter the tick, the whip, etc. Get as close as you can before that tick comes and then pull way back. Such as if the canter made my horse buck I would get him working really good in a walk and trot making sure he is concentrating on me then quietly ask for the canter. Ex. I point with the line in the direction of travel, pause, cue with voice or whatever you want, pause, gently use whip as to not try to get that bucking tick. Once cantering back off and let them do their job.
I don't know if any of this makes sense and again I'm not a pro. Take what you like and leave what you don't.  Good luck with your steed!


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

I have no problem with it...but I can't remember the last time I had one buck on the lunge....


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Lunging is NOT to "let off steam" or get the horse ready to ride by getting the sillies out. Lunging is to get the horse listening to you and moving off your body language and/or verbal commands. You should not allow anything on the lunge that you would not allow under saddle.


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## Tazzie (Nov 8, 2011)

Yes, I do. But she is only allowed one or two each direction. And I'm pushing her forward regardless. She is on 24/7 turnout with a bunch of oldies who do not run around and play. She is only stalled at shows. And we only lunge if she's had a long layoff. Otherwise, I don't lunge. She knows when it's time for work and when I'm letting her blow off steam. We don't have an arena nor a round pen where we are, just big open fields. I broke her out in the open without fences, so it's not like she's crazy. She's young, and on occasion needs a minute to get some yahoos out before I hop on. If she does in under saddle, she's in BIG trouble and she knows it. Even horses out 24 hours a day, 7 days a week don't stop and think "Hmm, my human is coming out. I better run and buck and get my crazies out before they want to ride."

That said, 99.9% of the time I don't lunge her. I get on, we warm up, and we work.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Lunging is NOT to "let off steam" or get the horse ready to ride by getting the sillies out.


See I used to believe that, then I got Fergie...

I absolutely lunge her to get the sillies out before I ride, and yes I let her buck if she wants, I started by correcting, but the went with my coach and 'let her get it out of her system' As we go on I lunge her for less time, and may even be able to drop it soon, but she starts off head up, racing her transitions, motorbiking and scooting, and yes the odd little buck, but then she 'comes into focus' and she just changes. Now YES any half competent person would be able to get on and ride her, but not me, not yet, not now, so I compromise. Now she never pulls or is 'rude' on the line, just full of it.

The arabs I had, well no I didn't understand lunging them, because all you got was a fitter hot horse! Gibbs, well never lunged him, he simply would not have understood.

So yes I am a convert, used to be firmly in the "must behave on the lunge as they do under saddle" now moved equally firmly into the "for some horse and rider combinations lunging to 'get the sillies out' is a great and useful idea"


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Depends on the situation of the buck. I like for them to get the "yahoos" out on the lunge line. As long as the buck is playful, excited, and RESPECTFUL in nature I don't mind. If the bucks are aimed at me, for get it! They wil get at least one good pop from the lunge whip and driving around like the tail is on fire.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

If doing too many circles a horse will often rebel. I do no more than 3 in each direction and try to keep the horse relaxed. Your horse is 3 and his joints are still developing. They may hurt if you're lunging too long as it puts sideways stresses on the joints. There's no rule book that says he has to canter on the lunge. Manners are more important and working relaxed.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Chasin Ponies said:


> Absolutely yes, when they are feeling especially spunky, full of themselves and are pulled straight out of their stalls. I prefer them to get it out of their system before they are ridden.
> 
> Absolutely not, when they are warmed up, calmed down and ready to work. They know the difference between play time and work time and they need to be allowed both.


That is what turn out is for, regarding the first part of your response
Horses don't understand grey areas, allowing bucking on the lunge line at one time, but not another.
They don't know you allowed it because they have been stalled, just that boundaries are not clear.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I totally discourage it, if they've been out in the field all day then they don't need to let off steam on the lunge, if they can't go out for some reason then they can be turned loose in the manège for an hour to do it
If a horse is too full of itself/high energy I will lunge them before schooling because it saves me a lot of hassle and can be much safer too but they have to work and not just race around like loons bucking, leaping and generally not listening too me


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Chasin Ponies said:


> Absolutely yes, when they are feeling especially spunky, full of themselves and are pulled straight out of their stalls. I prefer them to get it out of their system before they are ridden.
> 
> Absolutely not, when they are warmed up, calmed down and ready to work. They know the difference between play time and work time and they need to be allowed both.


That is what turn out is for, regarding the first part of your response
Horses don't understand grey areas, allowing bucking on the lunge line at one time, but not another.
They don't know you allowed it because they have been stalled, just that boundaries are not clear.
If a horse has turn out, but chooses not to use it, to burn off steam, then too bad, they don't get to do it on the lunge line either
You can make a horse work on the lunge line- it will get lots of excess energy used up, but that does not have to include bucking.
If you just get on and ride, having no other choice, such as on a trail ride, where horses have stood up all night, tied, with strange noises, sounds, ect, do you then get on with the mindset that it is okay for them to throw in some bucks, before settling down to work?


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

No bucking while lunging. The last horse I lunged bucked. The whip got him mid-air. Unpleasant experience for him.

Edited to add that horse in particular throws a buck every so often when being ridden so NO bucking is allowed when he is working.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

might be a different answer if your horse does not have daily turn out, or has not had his daily turn out prior to your ride, and you are taking him out of his stall cold.

that was my situation some years back on a big warmblood I rode. I always took him to the round pen and let him have his jolly's out, or lunged him on line. if he chose to buck, I ignored it and kept asking for what I was asking.

i'f he'd had good daily turnout for hours, I doubt he would have needed to buck on the line.


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## aclassicalpaint (Feb 11, 2015)

It seriously depends on the horse.
Neither of my horses do anything in turnout; partially because they just stand at the gate and partially because where I live, "turnout" is letting them loose in an arena. Where I have my gelding, he can jump the fence. And where I can turn out my mare, the footing is too deep and I worry about it aggravating an old injury. So 80% of the time they're on the line when I lunge.

I let my gelding, a typical OTTB, act like a moron on the line because he is perfect under saddle. But it's rare for a horse to know their job and keep their rider safe like he does (I have disorders and he packs me around when I am having an issue). I figure he needs to have fun, and I don't want to tempt him to be silly when I'm on him. The only rules I have for lunging is to be soft on the halter, stay on a 20 m circle, and go the direction I say. 

For my mare, she is not allowed to act up at ALL. That means absolutely no bucking, no kicking out, no speeding up, no slowing down, etc. She is 14.1hh but that little mare will drag your *** around the arena. Unless I'm hard on her, she will take off after I ask her to canter. When she does that, you need to be the Rock to stop her. Along with that, if you don't make her behave on the line she will buck and rear under saddle.

I learned a long time ago never to have definite opinions on pretty much any horsemanship views. You don't know every horse and situation, so you can't say what you would do in said situation. 

Good luck!


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

No to bucking while being gyped under saddle. If they do, I push them hard to run them out of it. Trying to stop them and changing direction only teaches them to set up harder and suck back the other way while bucking.

If I was to work a horse that hasn't been in turn out I will free lunge in a pen unsaid led then saddle and gyp on tge line. I'm not much on lunging so my version(gyping) is done on the end oh a lead rope/rein.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Oh goodness, sorry about the craptastic spelling. Redo!

If I was to work a horse that hasn't been in turn out I will free lunge in a pen unsaddled then saddled and gyped on a line. I'm not much on lunging so my version ( gyping ) is done on the end of a lead/rein.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Absolutely 100% NO -- any time a horse has a saddle on (including the first time) and any time that horse is on a line or being handled in any way it is never allowed to buck.

I put a surcingle on a horse and leave it tied in a safe place. 

Then I put a saddle on a horse and leave it tied in a safe place. I never turn it out with a saddle or surcingle on it. I don't care if I have to saddle one up and let it stand tied all day for a week or two weeks. I want it to be perfectly comfortable with that saddle on before I even hand-walk it around.

If I longe a horse, it is unsaddled and is longed for complete control and respect -- never for exercise. Turnout is for exercise.

I have found that even with hot bloods like TBs and Arabs, wanting to play and tear around is a habitual learned behavior. If you let them do it, they expect to do it. If you only let them jog and change directions on a short line, they just settle right down and are happy jogging. If I want one to work harder and lope on a line, I will bit it up and expect good form with absolute control.

My goal is to train a horse that can be brought in fresh, stand quietly to be saddled, 'un-tracked' a couple of steps, mounted and will ride off like it is supposed to. I think training a horse and letting it 'run off steam' only teaches it that running off steam is what it is being trained to do.

I worked on the track when I was a teenager and had a trainers license by the time I was 21. There were 1500 TB horses on the track I was at. Most of them were fed up to be crazy and were not the best broke horses around. The pony horse was the only really broke horse in the barn.

NOT ONE was turned out to let off steam. 

NOT ONE had been allowed to buck and play with a saddle.

NOT ONE I knew of was even broke to a longe line.

Every single one was 'higher than a kite', given every supplement and blood builder that was allowed and a good many that were not. Many were 'shot up' with Vitamins, Anabolic steroids and Blood Serum transfusions plus who knows what else.

Even these poorly trained idiots would stand quietly while they were saddled in their stalls. They would stand tied to the stall wall or in their doorway until the Exercise Boy came along. I would bring one out, give the Boy a leg up and send him off to the track (or ride with him on the pony horse) and he would gallop or work as instructed to do. Non of these horses needed to work off steam; they were expected to do that in a race!

So I do not need anyone to try to tell me that every horse needs to buck with a saddle to get it out of their system or that they need to tear around and play to be ridable. That is just what someone has trained them to do. They are creatures of habit. People can train them to have good habits or bad habits. I truly think they learn bad habits a lot quicker.

For many years, we have trained all kinds of horses from cow bred horses to Hot Bloods and usually within a month, any one can be brought in, saddled, mounted and ridden off. They can be turned out for several months and still do the same thing when they are brought in. The most they need is a little jogging and changes of direction to make sure they are listening.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Blunter then I put it, Cheri, but right on!


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## MyBoySi (Dec 1, 2011)

I discourage it. I don't want my horse to buck at all when I'm interacting with him. He spends a majority of his time in a field where he's free to buck and carry on all he wants on his own time.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

Cherie said:


> Absolutely 100% NO -- any time a horse has a saddle on (including the first time) and any time that horse is on a line or being handled in any way it is never allowed to buck.
> 
> I put a surcingle on a horse and leave it tied in a safe place.
> 
> ...


I love this. Thank you.

I have another question for you. My 3 year old QH has a lot of TB in him, and does get a little hot. He is perfect under saddle - I ride him on the trails alone even. He is a very good boy and people say he has a $10 million dollar mind - which i attribute to the QH in him. BUT - he can get very very wild on the lunge line. He will rear, jump straight up in the air, he'll even strike the air - not at me but he'll do it nonetheless. I correct him by verbally saying "NO" and popping the lunge line then moving him forward. He doesn't always do this, but it does happen sometimes -especially if he's been standing a day or 2. Once he's been worked several days in a row he NEVER acts this way. It is just when he's been standing. Am i handling the correction properly or is there a way to get ahead of the behavior to avoid it all together? Would you do anything more Cherie? Someone recommended using a chain under his chin for lunging, as well as side reins - nothing restrictive - more for balance and extra control. Thoughts?


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Do you have a place you can turn him out when he has been standing. If you do, just turn him out and let him play at will while you do not try to have any control.

If you do not have a turnout place, longe him on a very short line -- 10 to 12 feet long. I do not use a chain; I just use a stiff rope halter and a soft rope (easy on my hands). If I am going to do this with a horse, I practice it when the horse is not feeling so good. I will do it after turnout or a good ride just so I can teach him when he is not reactive. When you put a horse on a short line, you must be very careful not to let one kick or strike at you because you are close enough to get in trouble if you do not do it right. 

Now, this is very important! I want the horse to jog slowly. Every single time he speeds up or even shakes his head, I 'snatch' him around hard (no verbal "Whoa!" or other audible command) and make him change directions. It does not take more than a few minutes and about every horse is jogging around like a western pleasure horse.

When a horse is very good at going out and automatically jogging slowly and relaxed, I teach one to walk when I say "Easy". I do not use the word 'walk' because one never knows if someone is going to show the horse some day and I do not want a horse to listen to an announcer or another rider. So, 'easy' works well for me. 

I use a 'smooch' to increase speed. I use a smooch to ask a horse to transition from walk to trot. Then, usually withing a few minutes a horse will drop back to a walk with just a soft "Easy". If a horse does not slow down when I want him to, I snatch him around hard and go the other way and ask again. 

When a horse is very solid and obedient at the walk and the jog, I gradually go to a longer line. When he is good there, I start asking for a lope/canter. About 99% of the time, the horse transitions into a canter while staying in very good control. If he doesn't, you guessed it. He gets snatched around hard and does a lot more jogging. It usually means I did not 'read' him well and he should have not been asked yet. It takes a lot longer to 're-program' a horse that has been allowed to rip and tear around like a maniac than to teach one to longe right in the first place.

People need to get it out of their heads that longeing is to give a horse exercise. It is to train his mind. It is to make 'slow' the easy and pleasant thing to do. Most of all, horses are 'creatures of habit'. We need to set the habits to be things we like and want the horse to get good at. No one here wants a horse to get good a bucking or running around wildly.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

When I do lunge a broke horse, which I seldom do, once they are going well, they are saddled and bitted up, and expected to go the same as when ridden
It is a learning/working situation, and not a chance to do whatever the horse wants.
Provide turn out for that, or at least just turn him out in around pen by himself for awhile,if he can't have real turn out


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

He gets turnout daily. But I am going to do what you said about starting slow and nice, and also - I am changing my mind on the purpose of lunging. I have always thought it of "exercise" and that mentality is obviously wrong. I am glad I posted this - it has been good information for me to use!

Thank you gals! 

Also Cherie - I sure like that Red gelding you had for sale on your website. The big boy that had the club foot. Boy i would love to have a good solid trail horse like that someday. Maybe my boy will be that reliable when he's older.


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## Aylaann15 (Nov 18, 2015)

I always let my mare out in the arena to roll and run around while I clean her stall before we go to work. She will buck after rolling. She has this silly and kinda uncoordinated roll pattern she does.... She flops down and rolls all the way over then she explodes from the ground up into a buck and jumping high kick. That's the only time I've had her actually buck. (I don't count small crowhops as bucks).


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## Aylaann15 (Nov 18, 2015)

Gypsy my 16 ish yr old mare.


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## BiologyBrain (Jul 9, 2015)

> longer line. When he is good there, I start asking for a lope/canter. About 99% of the time, the horse transitions into a canter while staying in very good control. If he doesn't, you guessed it. He gets snatched around hard and does a lot more jogging. It usually means I did not 'read' him well and he should have not been asked yet.


Cherie, how do you ask for a canter/lope? I don't mean to hi-Jack this thread, but I'm wondering for my mare. She just trots faster. If she takes a couple canter strides she falls out really quickly. I've never had this much difficulty before.


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## Paintedponies1992 (Nov 17, 2013)

Since it's particularly icy out this time of the year I let them free lunge in the arena to get the sillies out, but as soon as the line is snapped on it's all business.


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## Starlite (Jan 25, 2011)

BiologyBrain said:


> > longer line. When he is good there, I start asking for a lope/canter. About 99% of the time, the horse transitions into a canter while staying in very good control. If he doesn't, you guessed it. He gets snatched around hard and does a lot more jogging. It usually means I did not 'read' him well and he should have not been asked yet.
> 
> 
> Cherie, how do you ask for a canter/lope? I don't mean to hi-Jack this thread, but I'm wondering for my mare. She just trots faster. If she takes a couple canter strides she falls out really quickly. I've never had this much difficulty before.


Ask for the canter, and walk toward her face as you're doing so, sort of briskly. Keep influencing her to transition up by usinf clear body language, if you need to encourage more a pop of the lunge whip behind her hocks can help too


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Well, if this horse has been trained to longe for a good while, it was not taught properly in the beginning. 

It does not have enough impulsion and not enough respect for the person longeing it. The person longeing it will not have to put enough pressure on it to MAKE it move out and keep moving out. This is always harder to get done if a horse was allowed to slow down or not move out when the horse decided to slow down instead of its owner making the choices. Obedience should have been taught long before now.

It will probably take more now than a 'pop' on the hocks.

Remember, what you allow (or have allowed) is what you are training a horse to do.


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## BiologyBrain (Jul 9, 2015)

I don't think she was taught to longe until I got her. She was trained in a round pen. Based on the description I got from the rescue I got her from she was not expected to canter much, if at all, because of fear of stressing her partially fused knee. I, personally, think many of this mae's issues come from being spoiled because of her knee. I'm treating her like a 'normal' 6 year old horse - expecting her to perform within reason (I don't make her do many turns on the forehand or things like that) anything I would expect of a 'normal' horse. Of course, it doesn't seem like it has netted me anything. Just wondering.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

I guess my question would be is what is your point of lunging your horse? What is your goal?


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

I would not longe her at all. I would just ride her and avoid sharp turns and small circles. If you want her to lope under saddle, sit back and put enough pressure for her to lope. Do this on soft but not deep ground and be sure you pull her up before she tries to quit you. Just do this once or twice each ride and always quit when you are ahead. Gradually expect her to lope for longer distances but NEVER let her determine when she quits. 

Let her walk for a ways after each loping exercise and then jog her to see if she if favoring her bad knee. I would not ever expect her to lope a small circle or to longe.

There are reasons for most horses that end up in rescue situations. A rescue is often times loaded with baggage and soundness issues and sometimes severely spoiled. Young horses are the best rescue option and even they are frequently pretty messed up.


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