# Horse keeps facing me while lunging



## WintersGirl (Jan 14, 2016)

I'm working with my new (and first) horse. She is three and knows nothing. I'm starting to teach her to lunge, but when she's on the line she keeps turning to face me and backing up (pulling hard on the line). Unfortunately, I don't have a round pen, just a line, but how do I get her to stop? She just pulls back harder when I pop the whip, and if I try to move to her side to get 'in the triangle' she continues to spin and face me.
I don't think she's confused, because she did great for a few days, then learned this 'trick'.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Read this thread

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/video-spoiled-pony-653065/#post8446801


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## WintersGirl (Jan 14, 2016)

What that pony does between 4:30 and about 5 min is pretty much like my horse, except she pulls back harder (just about drags me) and will not move forward when i ask.
They mostly said correct form.
How do i stay behind the drive line when she keeps backing up and facing?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

read all the thread. there are all kinds of suggestions there. and, if you look at all the videos posted by that member, you will see that her pony also dragged her off her feet, and/or escaped multiple times.


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## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

First teach her to yield her shoulder to pressure. She probably has no idea what you're asking her to do. You can tap her shoulder with a lunge whip and immediately remove pressure as soon as she moves - you can do that on a shorter length of rope and slowly let her out as she starts to "get" it. 

I also like "guiding" a horse by lifting the rope the way you want her to go, and also leaning your head in the same direction.


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## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

IMO 'lunging' is just leading/driving a horse but at a distance. So get the horse good at yielding to real & implied(bodylanguage, waved rope/whip) up close first, get her soft & reliable at leading & driving in any direction, then when that's all working, start increasing the distance. Generally speaking & esp when you're teaching a horse something new, if the horse does the 'wrong' thing, look at what you're doing & correct what you're doing which is unclear/not reinforced.


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## HorseWrangler51 (Jul 15, 2014)

I got through similar issues with my horse by enforcing the ground rules and reviewing how to move his feet. Start off with teaching her to disengage her forehand. Start at her side and start "pushing" with just your energy towards her neck, gradually increasing your movements and if you have to start to physically push her over until she takes one step to the side away from you. Get her so that she will turn on her forehand as much as you want from both sides. This may take 45 minutes or a week, it just depends on you and your horse. Remember to reward reward reward. Even the smallest step is still a step. Once she is proficient in moving her forehand you can start lunging. Start off by asking her to turn away from you, and as soon as she is in a position to walk away, begin to snap the whip at her hindquarters. This may take some time but if you keep up that she will start to move off of you.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

Please do NOT teach her to turn on the forehand...that will make your issue SO much worse.

She doesn't know what you want. You need to teach her. Start on a very small circle (like a lead rope) with an appropriate length whip.

I would suggest hands on help. Do you know how to lunge and just haven't taught a horse before?

I would start her on that tiny circle. Use your body language (I like to wave my arm without a whip at first).. start off walking with her, then gradually move until you are walking less and she is circling you, don't forget that arm (whip) to say "no you're right, YOU move" as when you stop she will be tempted to. This is why you DON'T yield and teach the horse to come in because when confused she will do just that then you will be trying to get her to stop doing that instead of working on something productive.

Get her so she will walk around you in a circle on the lead with you arm or a crop/dressage whip, THEN work on sending her out on a bigger circle.

She needs to get what "forward" means, right now she doesn't. And be patient, it doesn't make sense to her yet, she's not being bad. "Forward = sideways" is a new concept (her moving around you)


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

start by learning how to "send" your horse places. like send her ahead of you, or toward something, or through a gate, or into a trailer. learning how to send a horse is a precourser to lunging them and getting the to go ahead of you. 

ground driving is also a valuable training techniwque, but I think you may need someone to show you how to lunge . it's not self evident, and harder to do well than most folks realize. the fact that she did it well when she came but now is not , is an indicator that YOU are not doing it right, and you are confusing her.


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