# Does every horse need to lunge?



## xXHorseKissesXx (Jan 12, 2012)

Most horses are pretty willing about things, it may be because he hasn't been lunged in quite a while, and he was "testing" you. My horse does it every once in a while too! 

To get him to listen better, just ask him to walk/trot/canter like normal and if he doesn't listen, ask nicely, ask again, then tell him to do it again.

It really isn't necessary to lunge a horse, although it is a good way to exercise your horse if you are unable to ride, or just don't feel like it. I would suggest to keep doing it, to get him used to it, just in case you had a reason where you had to lunge him for something in the future. 

If you're still having problems, i'd suggest talk to a trainer, or experienced friend about it ! I'm sure they'd be happy to help ; )

Your horse sounds like a sweetie - great ground manners! You're daughter must love him <3


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## xxGallopxx (Dec 1, 2011)

No, you don't *have* to lunge every horse before you ride. My horse is fine when I don't lunge him, but I do lunge him for 5-10 minutes before I ride just to get him focused. And because it's winter, so he needs some more warm up time. Your horse sounds like he'd be fine. Every horse is different, so just do a little 'testing'. For a week, lunge him before you ride him and then the next week don't lunge him. See which one is best for him. You also don't have to lunge him till he sweats or anything. I personally wouldn't lunge a horse to get energy out of him, I just lunge to get them focused *especially* if they're stalled.


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## Chansu (Oct 18, 2011)

there may come a time when you need to lunge him, for example if he goes lame but only when hes trotting on a circle the vet may want to see him lunged to get a proper diagnosis. its also pretty good for establishing voice commands/ground manners etc and its just nice if sometimes you dont have time to ride but you still want your horse to get some exercise, a quick 15 minute lunging session solves the problem


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Well you don't want any kind of attitude when you're doing something with your horse... can lead to problems.

Every horse doesn't need to be lunged (it's a lot of stress to do circles over and over, which is why I prefer lunging in an arena or whatnot) but you don't want any holes in the horse's training.


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## justjump (Jan 18, 2011)

Every horse is different and has different quirks. All of our show horses at our barn with the exception of a few, need to be lunged before being ridden. However, the lesson horses never need to be lunged. Owners just need to find out what works best for their own horse! 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Newby32 (Dec 4, 2011)

xxGallopxx said:


> You also don't have to lunge him till he sweats or anything. I personally wouldn't lunge a horse to get energy out of him, I just lunge to get them focused *especially* if they're stalled.


He is stalled and if I can't ride, I like to get him out. I only ran him around about for a few minutes, bu I think I might not be doing it right anyway. He was probably annoyed because I was doing it wrong.


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## Chansu (Oct 18, 2011)

here you go, this might help


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

i lunge my 3 and 4 year old just to get them working my 13 year old ranch horse never lunged, only time i can get him to is when hes hyper and wants to go i usually just get on and ride all i have to do is ride for 5 to 10 minutes before any other person gets on.


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

As said above, you don't have to lunge your horse before you ride. Or, some horses don't ever have to be lunged.

Personally, I've gotten to know my horse well enough to know when he needs lunging. 9/10 times - I don't have to lunge him, just jump on and his ready to be ridden. That other 1/10 time's - his a little bit ancy and frisky when tacking up or leading out of the paddock. So, I'll put him on a lunge line out in the arena or just throw him in the round-yard, to get that little bit of 'ping' out of him.

Although - you said your horse didn't 'like' lunging. So, maybe it is a good idea to do a bit of lunging every now and then. It's always a great skill for all horses to be able to do.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I almost never lunge my horses. I'm a big believer into working in saddle.


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## Chansu (Oct 18, 2011)

it may be a good idea to just teach him to lunge in case you ever have to do it for a vet to get a proper look at him, but once he knows how to lunge theres not really a NEED to do it, just every now and then to refresh his memory


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## kayleeloveslaneandlana (Apr 10, 2011)

My horses, I never lunge them. When I am starting young horses I always lunge them, just to make sure they are relaxed and to put them in the correct frame. Pretty much it will just depend on the horse.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

I'm in this thread.. liking everybody's posts!

But no, I'm going to comment again.

It's a good training tool, a good gauging tool, a good get-the-pudding-crazies-out tool, and a good don't-feel-like-riding-because-I-am-a)hurt-b)tired-c)sick

I use it as a training tool. No matter how much I lunge my horse... I can do it till my arms fall off, it doesn't take the energy out of him. Good focusing work will make him tired, or physically demanding like asking him to use his back or to lengthen.


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## Newby32 (Dec 4, 2011)

Chansu said:


> it may be a good idea to just teach him to lunge in case you ever have to do it for a vet to get a proper look at him, but once he knows how to lunge theres not really a NEED to do it, just every now and then to refresh his memory



I think he would lunge fine with someone else. I have A LOT to learn. I just watched that video you posted and I was not lunging like that at all! LOL. I sent him out (round pen-no lunge line) and just started him trotting. I also feel like I'm chasing him versus standing in the center. I stay behind the saddle (unless we are turning directions), but I get so darn dizzy. The horse may not need lunging, but his owner needs lunging practice!


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## Chansu (Oct 18, 2011)

Newby32 said:


> I think he would lunge fine with someone else. I have A LOT to learn. I just watched that video you posted and I was not lunging like that at all! LOL. I sent him out (round pen-no lunge line) and just started him trotting. I also feel like I'm chasing him versus standing in the center. I stay behind the saddle (unless we are turning directions), but I get so darn dizzy. The horse may not need lunging, but his owner needs lunging practice!




hahaha. practice makes perfect, dont worry horses are very forgiving. as much as they like to pull ****y faces & get annoyed at your mistakes at the time, he will forget about it in a matter of minutes. or as soon as he gets a treat


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Your horse didnt' like it because you were asking him to move more than he wanted to, right? Does he ever express the same sentiment when you are on him? if you ask for a trot, does he move off promptly? does he pin his ears or buck or in other ways show irritation about being asked to move faster at any time? If you are leading him and you start to move faster, like you yourself trot, will he willingly speed up to follow you? 
All those things are signs of a horse that is "sticky" and resistant. Many riders dont' care about that level of non willingness, if for the most part the horse goes along with the program it's enough for them. If so, then why bother lunging? But if you are having other isssues of stickiness, then lunging and really getting him to bust out and MOVE! will be helpful. Lot more to it than just that , but just this for now.


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## Newby32 (Dec 4, 2011)

tinyliny- He's good about moving when I'm on him and he follows really well. I haven't tried trotting myself while leading, but I will! He did give me a "mini buck/hop" when I made him leave for the trail yesterday. I just prodded him forward and he relented. If someone else is leading then he follows along better, but we were in the lead and he didn't want to leave the barn. Once we got going, he was fine. I would say that he is a bit on the lazy side, but not super resistant.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Well, if you come to a place where he has figured that he can deside how fast and where to go when, then you can consider some round pen work to break him out and get him willing to move out when you say so. But, as I said, there's more to it than that one sentence.
I dont see any reason to lunge a horse regularly. It is a good skill to be able to send your horse around you on a line, or through a gate or into a trailer or stall. 
But if he behaves decent I would just ride him.


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