# Horse bucking when asked to canter on lunge line



## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Don't make the circle smaller. It is hard for a horse to canter in a tight circle. Instead charge at her. You should be walking a smaller inner circle so the horse can move in a bigger circle. 

To correct the bucking issue, get after her more to move forward. Increase the pressure until she goes forward the way you want.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

What is the diameter of your round pen where you are lunging her?


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Also, how long is your lunge line? My lines are 25 ft (pair) and 30 ft (pair). The popular CA method uses a 15 ft. lead/line and it isn't long enough to maintain a canter.
It is difficult for a horse to balance in a small circle. For now, since you say she rides fine, I would just work on walk to trot and trot to walk. Use English and your aids and work on obedience. I think you need someone to train you to lunge your horse.
When I had a riding academy I never needed to lunge my horses. They were ridden so often it wasn't necessary. I see the value in it now that my training time with my newer herd is much more limited.
If the musculature isn't there and the footing isn't perfect she won't want to canter for you. My 7yo QH is like that when we loose lunge. I need to add some sand to my training arena bc he has slipped on the south wall, but he will willingly trot all the way around. The trot helps your horse to balance and that is why gaited horses will also trot when they feel the footing isn't the best.
Make a solid plan when you lunge. Decide what it is you want your horse to learn, break it down into very small steps and don't proceed further until she understands the lessons. Keep repeating in short sessions until she is relaxed and comfortable.
Lynn Palm had an easy to understand, and, in my mind MANDATORY learning to lunge program recently. I bet you can find it on Hulu. She emphasizes practicing looping your line. She also recommends a flat cotton line as opposed to synthetic, with a stallion chain.


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## caisiemay (Sep 3, 2013)

No round pen, just on the line. It's 30 feet so a 60 foot circle. I do walk small circles (probably about 5-10 feet round) with her but the 30 feet is too long for me to get close enough to her to get her going. So then I'll pull it in about 10 feet and release as she increases speed (I'll stop doing this though). 
Usandpets, you say increase the pressure until she goes forward - could I do this any different than what I am doing already? (Pushing her out with the whip and kissing sounds) I will 'charge' her but then she tends to run off straight with extreme power and pull me, I've even had to drop the line twice to prevent her from dragging me. I think I'm doing it wrong ha!


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Its possible that the bucking is a resistance to her being asked to do something she's finding harder work than she can cope with on a small circle
I walk around with my horses when I canter them on the lunge as I don't find that a typical lunge rein is really long enough unless the horse is fit enough to do a real collected canter.
The only way to stop the bucking is to insist they keep going forwards so they have to work through it
I'm not a huge fan of lunging horses once they're in riding work.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Agreed about too much lunging once they ride well. However, I'm playing around with riding-in-hand and I love how Dennis Reis teaches obedience through loose lunging. I truly enjoy watching his students ask for transitions within gaits in a round pen environment, while loose lunging. Quite the art.
I agree that the OP's horse lacks muscle. Mine wander their 4 acres 1/2 the year and have turnout the other half, stalled at night, so they are very limber. It's much easier for my geldings to perform a tight circle where they do the same with their herd. Since they're in the back yard I can watch what each is capable of before working them. If the OP's horse is stalled frequently, the muscle just isn't there.


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## caisiemay (Sep 3, 2013)

Corporal said:


> It is difficult for a horse to balance in a small circle. For now, since you say she rides fine, I would just work on walk to trot and trot to walk. Use English and your aids and work on obedience. I think you need someone to train you to lunge your horse.
> If the musculature isn't there and the footing isn't perfect she won't want to canter for you. My 7yo QH is like that when we loose lunge. I need to add some sand to my training arena bc he has slipped on the south wall, but he will willingly trot all the way around. The trot helps your horse to balance and that is why gaited horses will also trot when they feel the footing isn't the best.
> Make a solid plan when you lunge. Decide what it is you want your horse to learn, break it down into very small steps and don't proceed further until she understands the lessons. Keep repeating in short sessions until she is relaxed and comfortable.
> Lynn Palm had an easy to understand, and, in my mind MANDATORY learning to lunge program recently. I bet you can find it on Hulu. She emphasizes practicing looping your line. She also recommends a flat cotton line as opposed to synthetic, with a stallion chain.


Valuable point, thank you! I didn't think about the footing, we are on the only flat patch of the pasture but it is a little bumpy. I will be moving her to a barn with a sand arena shortly. Maybe I'll have better luck there when she has better footing. I do have a trainer, she is just out of town when this problem started so I figured I'd ask here. She taught me to lunge and is very good but she believes that the horse should be allowd to run and buck freely on the lunge and I don't, so I'm looking at other resources


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## caisiemay (Sep 3, 2013)

I have to say - I am quite impressed with how helpful everyone is  
Thank you all! 
Tonight I will try to make the circle larger but walking a slightly larger circle with her. Hopefully that works! How large do you think the circle should be to be safe? If its 60 feet with the longeline and I walk a 15 foot circle would that be large enough? 75 feet give or take?


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

I think most of us will agree that bucking is left for turnout. It's a lot like you reprimanding your child and they shout, "NO, I WON'T!!" in public.
She will repeat this, so next time yank on the line and say, "whoa" quietly. Horses have excellent hearing and if she is obedient to whoa she will slow down and stop.
Then, I would work on backing, obediently and quickly, not just 2-4 steps, but all the way back to the fence. *Backing is an excellent exercise for a horse.*
I am proud of the halter and lead training I have taught my 16'3hh KMH gelding. Since he towers over my 5'4" frame I was afraid he would drag me out of his stall if he stuck inside for a week long ice storm, which isn't uncommon in central IL, so I taught him to put his head over the gate for the haltering, and I taught him "walk on" and "halt" and "back". We've done it so much over the past 3 years that I can back him into anything--the side of the barn, the back of the stall, my truck, even my wheelbarrow, and he calmly stops awaiting the next command. This is a very useful training tool, and not a punishment, but it will take your mare's mind off of bucking.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I think you can only really base your circle size by how well your horse seems to be dealing with it. 
If you concentrate on the trot to start with - work on the horse being supple and balanced at that pace - not 'running' around flat out but using his quarters to round up and then just ask for short canters to begin with - maybe just half of the circle and then back to trot at command and repeat this exercise with walks in between to give him some rest time and of course changing direction.
Once he gets fitter I think you'll find he's more responsive to just your voice.
Running at him isn't a great idea - even though he makes you feel like doing that!!! Clucking and 'kissing' noises are fine but verbal commands - walk, trot, canter, whoa, stand, back, over, turn can be more useful long term and don't forget there's as much in the tone of your voice as in what you actually say.


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