# What is the real purpose of lunging?



## EternalSun (Mar 29, 2009)

I don't get it either. Almost all the barns I've been at, people _never_ just rode their horses, even the dead broke finished show horses. They always lunged them for an hour first to "get the bucks out". Sometimes it was rodeo on a rope, but most of the time the horses were just run in a circle until they were tired. I think if you need to lunge your horse every time before you ride him, you need to get a better trainer.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

I think lunging is generally for letting a horse use it's body without the stress of a rider. It's just a good exercise technique but should not be used every ride, IMO. I don't really see the point in that.


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## Flyinghigh12 (Feb 17, 2009)

I like to lunge my horse before I ride becuase i can see how she is that day and I can also look for signs of lameness or if she's hurting somewhere. If I haven't worked with her for a while I lunge for my safety because I know that even though she may not show it right away but she might have built up energy that I need to kick out of her system before I ride.

Some people like to join up with their horse before riding. Some do it because its habbit and others do it for safety. I think a horse that is used for lessons or little kids shouldn't be one that needs lunging before every ride because it can not only get annoying but it can say alot about a horse that is suppose to be used for kids.


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## Spyder (Jul 27, 2008)

There are certainly good physical reasons for lunging like a cold back which my horse has but the real purpose is to get the horse focused on being ridden.

It is to set the horse's mind so it is only thinking of the person handling/riding it and not anywhere else.

If it is done right you end up with the horse swinging through the haunches and head neither too high nor too low but relaxed and totally listening to you.

Here is a picture of my boy being lunged by me and you can see he is exactly where you would want any horse just before you mount. Notice I do not have side reins nor have the head tied down in any way.


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## eventnwithwinston (Feb 15, 2009)

Lunging is used for many reasons...
-To settle a "hot" or "fresh" horse 
-To exercise a horse when you cant ride
-To improve a horse's ground manners and response to vocal aids
-And sometimes for balance, and suppleness.

I think I covered it all. Boy, what Pony Club has taught me  haha


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

Spyder said:


>


Poor, miserable boy wants to come home with me 'cause you made him look like a unicorn!


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## eventnwithwinston (Feb 15, 2009)

ahaha Joshie.
Be nice.  lol


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

bad Joshie!


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## cowgirlfitzy (Jan 27, 2009)

I don't longe before everytime unless it is a young horse. But if my horse was stuck in a stall for a while I might send him around a couple time just to get that extra energy off. I always longe him if we are some place new. For one to get him use to the environment and to make sure he is listening to me before I jump on his back. 

I don't longe my horse in mindless circles, losts of changes in direction and transitions. 

I think everyone covered everything tho.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

eventnwithwinston said:


> ahaha Joshie.
> Be nice.  lol





Cat said:


> bad Joshie!


I am a VERY good girl!

Joshie is a


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Little angel with horns and a missing halo.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I never used to lunge the horse I was going to ride before I got Lacey. I really like to lunge Lacey before I get on because she always has a trick up her sleeve for me when I actually get on so I like having her be a little more focused on me and a little less focused on "OMG! My buddies are still back in the field! What if a puma comes and eats me while I'm over here? Woe is me! Doom and Gloom!" I also like to lunge her becuase when she isn't worked regularly she gets super hot and I don't always want to ride. When I ride other horses though I don't lunge them.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I don't lunge very often...

I lunge my younger horse a few times during the summer when I just want to work with him and not ride or if I'm wanting to get good movement photos... or work on voice cues or something...

I lunge my mare every now an then to get pictures or to just play around with her.


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## twogeldings (Aug 11, 2008)

I lunge Loki to exercise and work on focusing and generally calming down a bit. 
I can stand there with the whip on the ground and he will be FLYING around me after the first 'go' command. No focus. Not good. He's like this under saddle. Totally ignores me. Hence, I lunge him to work on listening to the rider and not to the pretty flowers.
After he does finally begin to focus I work on vocal commands and body language. I ask him to trot, walk, stop, change directions (he hates this) I never work him hard or long and ALWAYS rub him all over with the lunge whip afterwards.

I lunge my three year for basicly training only. Right now, he's learning respect, focus, and calming. He has the habit of wanting to face you when you to rub on his hindquarters and what not. He wasn't worked with since a yearling, unfortunately, so he has a lot of catching up to do.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Okay, thanks everybody. I hadn't though about doing lots of those things from the ground. Most of what everyone mentioned I do from the saddle. If a horse is not listening to me, I will trot some circles or flex each way and then do some backing and leg yields. I can tell when a horse is lame better from the saddle than I can from the ground. Plus, I prefer to just ride out any problems that may arise with a young or excitable horse. Cool. Thanx for all the replies.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I don't lunge every time. Only if I didn't ride them for while then I let him run out some energy before I'm getting into the saddle. Frankly, I find lunging pretty boring. At least one of my horses thinks this way too.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

eventnwithwinston said:


> -To exercise a horse when you cant ride


Actually that's a good one too. I do it during a winter or when I have some health problems.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Joshie said:


> Poor, miserable boy wants to come home with me 'cause you made him look like a unicorn!


Ha-ha-ha! That was a good one!


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

Lunging is great for exercising a horse when you can't or don't want to ride for whatever reason. It's also nice for introducing trot poles and jumps. I'm going to lunge Norman over cavalettis first before I actually ride over them. It gives you a good idea of what to expect from a green horse and how they're going to handle the jumps. I lunge my TB a lot. It helps get him warmed up and gauges what kind of mood he's in so I know what to expect when I actually get on him. There's no point in even trying to ride Victor when he's not in a working frame of mind. Lunging gets him focused on work. And if he's in a ****y mood that day, I'd much rather get his tantrums over with on the lunge line rather than in the saddle. 

I wouldn't lunge a quiet, dead broke horse, though. I don't see any point in that.


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## TBsPlease (Mar 19, 2009)

You lunge to create the horse that you want to ride, to supple them and get them relaxed, bending, and moving forward in a swinging trot and a springy canter.
It is _*not*_ a hells-bells, unbalanced gallop in a circle to burn off energy and make your mount controllable.


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## Countrygal892000 (Apr 17, 2009)

I see no point in lunging either... unless you have a horse thats needs exercise and you have no pen to let them run in... otherwise making a horse just jog or trot in a circle makes no sense to me... I would rather just run with me horse.. which I do quite often.. she likes to play... but I see where all the english riders are coming from with techniques.. being a western barrel racer I just like to get on and do all my training from on top... Im not as into the precise movement.... just make her run fast and turn smooth... lol... so maybe for a first training method and fine tuning?


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## onetoomany (Dec 10, 2008)

Countrygal892000 said:


> being a western barrel racer I just like to get on and do all my training from on top... Im not as into the precise movement.... just make her run fast and turn smooth...


Actually barrel racing is all about precise movement that would be how you get nice turns. I've used dressage in training my barrel/sorting horse and have found it to be extremely beneficial. I've danced on both sides of the english and western line and have found longing to be a very useful tool. Sure, if you run your horse like mad in circles and have no structure there is no point but if you stucture it and actually know how to longe a horse there is a point IMO. It helps to get your horse focused and listening. No, you don't need to do it before every ride but it can be useful to sharpen some listening skills on your horse's part.


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## toosleepy (Jan 14, 2009)

I always lunge my horses when i arrive at a show. It lets them stretch their legs from a long trailer ride and gives them an opportunity to look around at things. I also allow them to play if they choose on the line as when they are under saddle it is not allowed. I'll also use lunging as a form of fitting them up on the days i don't ride.


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## zurmdahl (Feb 25, 2009)

I only longed Ace a few times when I didn't have time to ride but he needed some exercise. He really doesn't need it, he's dead quiet and always well behaved.

Flower, on the other hand, benifits from it. I don't do it before every ride, but when she's had a few days off or more I do it to get out her bucks and get her attention on me.


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

Many riders are over horsed. I see this at nearly every barn I go to, whether it is a h/j, eventing or dressage barn. When trainers are available, many people will also get the trainer to ride before them. So by lunging the horse, they don't have to ride it for as long and be terrified that the horse is going to do something.
I lunge my horse when I'm working through an issue, like going forward and I don't feel comfortable or am getting nowhere from the saddle. I also use lunging to assess my horse's movement and identify what I need to work on in the saddle. And, when I'm writing exams and cant ride, I'll get someone to lunge my horse. This is all with sidereins and the proper equipment to ensure he's working as well as he can be.
I know other people lunge their horses to get them used to things at horse shows, and I also do that with my young ones. Last year at my first two shows I lunged the first day in case my horse felt spooky, or like being an idiot and I'd rather he got that out of his system before I get precariously balanced on his back.


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