# Free lunging pros and cons???



## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Ok, give me your thoughts on free lunging a horse in an open arena?

I've seen people do it before, in fact I've done it for other people with their horses because they wanted it done....when I did it, I did it moderately, to the point that the horse would come down and circle me (lunging - without the line on a circle).....however I have seen people really wind a horse up doing it (full on power snorting and vertical tail, haha a stampede!) ..and I'm starting to wonder if there is a method in their appeared 'madness' or am I missing something.....????

How do you do it?
Why do you do it?
Why wouldn't you do it?


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Honestly, I don't see the point in it unless you're into all of that 'natural horsemanship' hoohah and want to run the horse on circles to 'bond' with it. Free lunging for exercise seems pointless, they get just as much exercise running around a paddock without adding strain to their legs by running them on a circle. 
The people who hot their horses up and get them spooked while free lunging, again pointless in my opinion. Don't we want well behaved, settled horses? Not fire breathing g monsters that think every time you work them you're going to chase them around and get them excited and silly. 

I think, if you're lunging to build muscle and fitness without the weight of a rider - do it on a line with some form of outside rein if you know what you're doing. Or if you want to work the horse, just get on it! 

From what I've seen locally, those that regularly free lunge have ALL been people that are too scared to ride.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Kayty said:


> Honestly, I don't see the point in it unless you're into all of that 'natural horsemanship' hoohah and want to run the horse on circles to 'bond' with it. Free lunging for exercise seems pointless, they get just as much exercise running around a paddock without adding strain to their legs by running them on a circle.
> The people who hot their horses up and get them spooked while free lunging, again pointless in my opinion. Don't we want well behaved, settled horses? Not fire breathing g monsters that think every time you work them you're going to chase them around and get them excited and silly.
> 
> I think, if you're lunging to build muscle and fitness without the weight of a rider - do it on a line with some form of outside rein if you know what you're doing. Or if you want to work the horse, just get on it!
> ...


Haha you actually said what I was thinking! I lunge my horse on a line, I work him on it, no lazy bones here, but I do it once a week when I have my small child with me at the barn because I can keep a closer eye on him and I don't have much time, as little children who dont really like little ponies dont maintain much patience when made to wait! So it works for me that way!
I've had owners ask me to free lunge their horse on days they cannot be there.....I make the horse hot (work him) but not hot in the sense of all revved up and terrified flying around the arena.....the last thing I want to do is injure someone else's horse for the sake of making him 'run'.......I always do it in a controlled way....slow warm up, lope around for a while, slow cool down......but I've seen people have their horse just bolting around the arena and I actually fear for the horses safety sometimes, they chase them but never stop getting after the horse...it's just run run run..........that's why I was wondering if I was missing something???? 
Is there a method in this madness?

Ps. Yes, I'm looking into driving reins soon! I have to toot my horn, but I'm a pro at two rein lunging!!! Had many more hours on the ground then in the saddle....it has served me I guess


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

Wait, is free lunging just lunging without a lunge line in an arena? I do that, mostly because I don't have a lunge line. We do all the same things as I would on a line, just without one. She does well. It took her a while to figure out what I wanted, and she would at first just run along the walls of the odd shaped arena, but once she figured it out she runs in a circle around me instead. I don't always lunge, but because she has a tendency to get herd bound on the days she's being particularly finnicky five or so minutes of lunging until she licks her lips and she's usually good to go. She trots nicely (She used to just run like crazy) and it makes her better to work with, not hot or crazy.

Is there a reason it's looked down on? I never thought about it really, I just don't have a lunge line so I make do. If anything, I thought it helped better my body language communication.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I'd love to develop my skills in ground driving, I can do it at a basic level, but it would be great to get a little more advanced. I'm great with lunging on a single line and can get a horse working very well, but two lines I can get walk, trot and canter going well, but changing rein and starting figures, I really struggle with!


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

*How do you do it?* - I prefer "round penning" with no line.
*Why do you do it? *"Natural horsemanship hoohah.  " It is somewhat interesting to see a horse turn to you and decided that being with you is easier and more comfortable than working themselves on the walls of a round pen. (other explanations available, etc. )
*Why wouldn't you do it? *If you don't have a round pen, then don't! You'd be chasing that horse all over the place and if it takes you a minute to walk to the other side of the field, then they aren't going to get whatever you're trying to tell them. They're going to go " This crazy bat is chasing me with a whip/line/bag/whatever and I am going to avoid them. "


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Shoebox said:


> Wait, is free lunging just lunging without a lunge line in an arena? I do that, mostly because I don't have a lunge line. We do all the same things as I would on a line, just without one. She does well. It took her a while to figure out what I wanted, and she would at first just run along the walls of the odd shaped arena, but once she figured it out she runs in a circle around me instead. I don't always lunge, but because she has a tendency to get herd bound on the days she's being particularly finnicky five or so minutes of lunging until she licks her lips and she's usually good to go. She trots nicely (She used to just run like crazy) and it makes her better to work with, not hot or crazy.
> 
> Is there a reason it's looked down on? I never thought about it really, I just don't have a lunge line so I make do. If anything, I thought it helped better my body language communication.


Hey there, I am just trying to figure out a persons motivation for free lunging....I can understand if a horse is really fresh and hot and you might be trying to take the edge of him before riding.....but I don't understand the loonies who spend 15mins galloping a horse around the arena, no warm up, no cool done, just frantic wide eyed running......what is the purpose of this??? I'd be scared of injuring my horse....
Also, you can usually tell who does this frantic running with these horses, because when you walk in the arena with them just to turn them out for a little while, they immediately start pulling away at the gate and run off crazy when that halter comes off.......


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## BossHoss (Nov 11, 2011)

Muppetgirl said:


> Hey there, I am just trying to figure out a persons motivation for free lunging....I can understand if a horse is really fresh and hot and you might be trying to take the edge of him before riding.....but I don't understand the loonies who spend 15mins galloping a horse around the arena, no warm up, no cool done, just frantic wide eyed running......what is the purpose of this??? I'd be scared of injuring my horse....
> Also, you can usually tell who does this frantic running with these horses, because when you walk in the arena with them just to turn them out for a little while, they immediately start pulling away at the gate and run off crazy when that halter comes off.......




o__o; Maybe they think that's what they are doing, but I don't think that's what they're really doing.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Kayty said:


> I'd love to develop my skills in ground driving, I can do it at a basic level, but it would be great to get a little more advanced. I'm great with lunging on a single line and can get a horse working very well, but two lines I can get walk, trot and canter going well, but changing rein and starting figures, I really struggle with!


Yes there is an art to it! I had to drive a lot of youngsters at the track...through puddles (haha no depth perception!) through the starting gates etc.....and I enjoyed doing that a lot!

When I went on to becoming a pro groom, I two reined 8 horses everyday.....you get real good at something if you do it lots with a variety of horses, but I did enjoy it a lot, a whole different concept than just lunging on one line. 
You know you've got good at it when you can two rein out in a open field or in the middle of a warm up pen....with no problems
I was also taught to do it without a whip, never used one nor did I need one while two reinng....sometimes I think that's where people have trouble with it....


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

I let Ronan burn around the arena every once in a while. He's in a paddock and can't get a good run in when it's wet out there, so I let him loose to stretch his legs on good footing.


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

personally, i love free longing and it does give you a great opportunity to really connect with your by body language. i can ask my horses to do basically anything by body language. walk, trot, canter, whoa, gait, back up, roll back, sliding stop, disengage hind quarters, pivot on hindquarters, sideways, whatever. it is an amazing feeling to watch them connect that much with you and be that willing to respond. no my horses are not just trained with the natural horsemanship hoohaa but it is a wonderful and amazing thing to be able to connect with your horse this way. free longing is not a fast crazy horse running in circles. its not just about exercise.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Shoebox (Apr 18, 2012)

Muppetgirl said:


> Hey there, I am just trying to figure out a persons motivation for free lunging....I can understand if a horse is really fresh and hot and you might be trying to take the edge of him before riding.....but I don't understand the loonies who spend 15mins galloping a horse around the arena, no warm up, no cool done, just frantic wide eyed running......what is the purpose of this??? I'd be scared of injuring my horse....
> Also, you can usually tell who does this frantic running with these horses, because when you walk in the arena with them just to turn them out for a little while, they immediately start pulling away at the gate and run off crazy when that halter comes off.......



I guess my only motivation was literally that I didn't own a lunge line, and I didn't know anybody who could lend me one. My motivation for lunging in general is beacuse like I mentioned she gets a bit herdbound and it takes the edge off of her antsyness. I'm not sure about people who chase their horses around until they're wide eyes and snorting. Clementine is very good about it. At first, without the lunge line, she had NO IDEA what I wanted and just ran around. We worked on it for that whole day, and by the end of the day she grasped the basics and trotted around the edges of the arena (I did have to do some chasing.) Over time, she started getting closer to me, and now she trots in a wide circle around me, will change direction, stop, and we're working on changing gaits. On rare occasions, when I first bring her in after a missed day or two, the first half minute will be a lot of running and kicking and blowing off steam, but she always calms down and it never needs to pass five or so minutes. 

I have seen one other lady trying to "Teach" her horse to free lunge. The horse didn't even know how to lunge on a line, so she ended up chasing it with a whip around the arena (It was a smallish indoor, roughly circular shaped) and the horse would bolt from one side to the other, kicking and squealing and the lady was saying how good she was doing. I don't really know what she was thinking. It ended when the horse tired the lady out, and her excuse was "Oh he's just learning, so he's not understanding quite yet." Um. No. You're scaring him, and he's running from you. Big difference.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

JustDressageIt said:


> I let Ronan burn around the arena every once in a while. He's in a paddock and can't get a good run in when it's wet out there, so I let him loose to stretch his legs on good footing.


Your new avatar is nice!


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

Muppetgirl said:


> Your new avatar is nice!


Thank you


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## HorseCrazyTeen (Jul 29, 2012)

Free longeing (or lungeing) is a wonderful, wonderful way to create a bond with your horse. It helps them learn to follow your body language, and it is just plain FUN. Proper free longeing is _not_ crazy people running their poor horses in wild circles; they may call it free longeing, but all they are doing is chasing the tar out of their freaked-out horses. Please don't mix free longeing and chasing up!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

If you know what you're doing, and free lunging with a purpose - for example 'toosexy4myspotz's post - then yes, I can see why people enjoy doing that. It's the example in Muppet's original post that I think is blatently useless. Running a horse around and around and around and around in endless circles, with its head stuck up in the air, wide eyed and snorting. 
And I don't mean letting a horse go for a run around the arena to play - I am referring to those that chase their horse around with a whip to make it 'run'.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I free lunge for lots of reasons. It's not all "natural horsemanship hoohaa," it's always very productive for me. Sometimes, Gracie can be a pushy little filly, so I get her in the roundpen and work her like I want her working. It gets her yielding to me again. I don't run her ragged, it usually only takes a minute for her to be like, "okay, I give, you're the boss."

Another reason I free lunge is when a horse won't let me catch it. You want to run away from me, fine. You keep running. I don't "join up," but will continue until I can catch them. And it's not running stupid, snorting, vertical tail, trotting is usually enough. I just want them to move.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Kayty said:


> If you know what you're doing, and free lunging with a purpose - for example 'toosexy4myspotz's post - then yes, I can see why people enjoy doing that. It's the example in Muppet's original post that I think is blatently useless. Running a horse around and around and around and around in endless circles, with its head stuck up in the air, wide eyed and snorting.
> And I don't mean letting a horse go for a run around the arena to play - I am referring to those that chase their horse around with a whip to make it 'run'.


Yes I'm talking about the crazies who actually look like they want their horse to have a nervous breakdown....that's why I ask ' am I missing something here?'....


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Muppet, I think *they're* missing something.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

riccil0ve said:


> Muppet, I think *they're* missing something.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Haha! *head-saddle horn* :thumbsup:


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

I usually free lunge when I don't feel like riding but the horse still needs exercise. The little goofball LIKES showing off for me. I like controlling him with body language only - when I free lunge, I don't use a line or a whip. He also seems to enjoy me chasing him. He will disobey me on purpose here and there and wait for me to go "Grr" and chase him and has a wicked fun time when I do. If I stop sending him, he'll usually come to a stop and turn and look at me and if I make him wait long enough he'll stop his feet in annoyance that I'm not chasing him. He's a strange horse though and really seems to thrive and flourish with strict boundaries and no-nonsense allowed.

I don't know if my method is "right" or "wrong" but he seems to have fun with it.

* By chase, I mean I go GRR, make myself "big" and stomp a few steps at him, sending him off.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

DancingArabian said:


> I usually free lunge when I don't feel like riding but the horse still needs exercise. The little goofball LIKES showing off for me. I like controlling him with body language only - when I free lunge, I don't use a line or a whip. He also seems to enjoy me chasing him. He will disobey me on purpose here and there and wait for me to go "Grr" and chase him and has a wicked fun time when I do. If I stop sending him, he'll usually come to a stop and turn and look at me and if I make him wait long enough he'll stop his feet in annoyance that I'm not chasing him. He's a strange horse though and really seems to thrive and flourish with strict boundaries and no-nonsense allowed.
> 
> I don't know if my method is "right" or "wrong" but he seems to have fun with it.
> 
> * By chase, I mean I go GRR, make myself "big" and stomp a few steps at him, sending him off.


Haha ohnooooo help I'm being chased by a bear! Haha your last line reminded me of bear safety training! LOL:lol:


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## Peppy Barrel Racing (Aug 16, 2011)

Anyone who is simply chasing their horse till they are so amped up and scared doesn't know what they are doing. Personally I lunge with a line because I don't own a round pen. I have a mare that works better if I lunge her for about 5 minutes before we ride as it reminds her who the boss is. Lunging is a great way to bond and communicate with your horse. I can direct my horses body with the point of my hand or the point of my whip or a simple voice cue. When I have the chance to use a round pen I love free lunging as you have a few more options as far as what you can ask your horse to do. I think the cons are if you don't know what your doing you can really mess up your horse also if you do it for too long it can be hard on their joints.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## toosexy4myspotz (Oct 7, 2007)

lunging is an art whether on a line or off. i have seen people like muppet is talking about and its scary. the first few attempts with any horse is hard and you must reward calm behavior. some people don't care cause they are just "lunging" and it doesn't matter how the horse acts or carries themselves but that is truly a miss understanding. these people probably don't have respect for themselves let alone a god given creature.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I suppose there are folks that just chase the horse around nd succeed in making it crazy. I can imagine that might make the OP have a negative attitude to free lunging. But not everyoe is that way.

I might look a little crazy on the rare time when I free lunge in either a large paddock or an arena or even round pen. I say this because if the horse is so stuck that he needs a LOT to make him break out and MOVE when I say so, then I might look pretty crazy doing what it takes to get him to committ to moving out BIG.

This is only necessary if the horse it blowing you off when you say Go. That is usually the same way they are undersaddle; you put your leg on and they give you maybe 60% tops. Sometimes, taking them out and getting them to really leap forward when you say so can kind of break them out of a habit of resistance.

Or, the hrose is going on automatic. he goes in the arena and he takes off running around the outside. That's the mind you would be riding; one that hardly notices the passenger up there. I would want to work on getting that horse to stop and look at me. Then, turn in to me, then decide to come toward me, and I don't mean come running in like he owns me.

So, to me, free lunging is a way of checking in to see where you horse is mentally. And, in some cases, I AM afraid to ride a hrose that I haven't checked out in either the free lunge or round pen. I might still be afraid to ride it afterward. No shame in knowing your limits. I want to get some isight on how hard that horse might press my skill limits.


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

I free lunge. I don't do it for touchy-feely bonding purposes, I do it to reaffirm boundaries and to reinforce voice cues. Doesn't have to be in a roundyard, I actually prefer to do it in a small schooling arena (or even a smaller paddock) which will provide less stress to the joints, and where there is more space to get the horse doing things that make him think. Sometimes I do it tacked up and sometimes I do it without tack, depends on the purpose of the session.

I don't lunge with a line very much. If I haven't ridden a horse before, or if it's just back from a break, I'll send it around twice each side - not to "wear it out" but to get its focus on me and to see what sort of mood its in. If it's going to be leaping in the air or throwing an excited buck every few strides I'd like to know before I get on, so I can be prepared! It's always at least a 20m circle at the trot. I also occasionally line lunge to check for lameness if there's no one around to trot the horse up for me. Otherwise I'm not hugely keen on it and would prefer to ground drive instead.


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

DancingArabian said:


> I usually free lunge when I don't feel like riding but the horse still needs exercise. The little goofball LIKES showing off for me. I like controlling him with body language only - when I free lunge, I don't use a line or a whip. He also seems to enjoy me chasing him. He will disobey me on purpose here and there and wait for me to go "Grr" and chase him and has a wicked fun time when I do. If I stop sending him, he'll usually come to a stop and turn and look at me and if I make him wait long enough he'll stop his feet in annoyance that I'm not chasing him. He's a strange horse though and really seems to thrive and flourish with strict boundaries and no-nonsense allowed.
> 
> I don't know if my method is "right" or "wrong" but he seems to have fun with it.
> 
> * By chase, I mean I go GRR, make myself "big" and stomp a few steps at him, sending him off.


Haha yes, Brock and I do that for a bit of fun in his paddock. We also play the "red light" game - basically I jog away and he comes trotting after me, then I spin around with my hand out and he has to stop. Took a long while before he was disciplined enough to play that safely but now he's fine and thinks it very funny :lol:.


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