# Do you lunge with or without tack?



## steedaunh32 (Jun 5, 2008)

I've always lunged without any tack on, just a halter and line, but I would like to know if there's more of a benefit to lunging a horse that's saddled and bridled. I was talking with a friend the other day and apparently she only lunges her horse when she's tacked, bridle on and uses the reins as a lunge line. I'm still a green-ish rider and don't have a whole lot of lunging experience and knowledge as my horses were always so lazy they never needed it (although from what I know now it would have been good ground work to do). Any opinions on this?


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## Puddintat (Jul 24, 2010)

I have lunged without tack but I mostly do with tack. I almost always lunge before riding so its more convienient to do it after he's all "dressed" and ready to go. (I'm green, too, but I'm learning as I go. I'll have had Dancer 1 year in September)


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

If I'm only going out to lunge with no plans for riding, the tack stays off unless the horse is green and getting used to the saddle.


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## VelvetsAB (Aug 11, 2010)

_Depends on what I am doing._

_Green horse--saddle on, with stirrups most likely down and boots. No bridle._

_Trained horse-- _

_Morning of a show-->probably no tack on, because I will still have a while before I show, but just trying to let him/her loosen up and work off a bit of high spirits._

_Before a Lesson--> if I had a high spirited horse that maybe needed A LOT of energy burned off before I got on...everything I would need for the lesson (saddle, boots, breastplate) except the bridle._

_Just to lunge--> Don't see the point of putting the saddle on him/her because he already knows what it is. I would just lunge in a halter and probably boots._


_I have lunged in a bridle, but find it is just as convienant to lunge in a halter. If I did lunge in a bridle, it wouldn't have reins on it, or the reins would be twisted up into the throat latch and over the horses head and out of the way._


_Unless your friend has some freaky long reins--as I am picturing trying to lunge in mine-- she is lunging in what seems like a super small circle, which can be harder on the horses joints. Its better to have a larger circle (in most cases)._


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

equiniphile said:


> If I'm only going out to lunge with no plans for riding, the tack stays off unless the horse is green and getting used to the saddle.


Same here, If I'm not going to ride I'll just take the halter and lead off when we're in the round pen. My horse is fabulous in the round pen though so I would still use a halter and probably lunge line if the person and/or horse is still pretty green. I ALWAYS make sure my horses have support/protective boots and bell boots on when working, riding or lunging.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

On the extremely rare occasion that I do lunge a horse, I usually do it with tack on. There has only been one horse that I would lunge before trying to saddle her and that was only for the first few days of training because she was a witch. Other than that, the only time I ever lunge a horse is when they are green and I haven't been on them in a few days. Then, I will lunge them for a few minutes with a saddle and halter just to get them warmed up and get any sillies out of the way on the ground. Then, I swap the halter for the bridle and get on.

As for lunging and using the reins for a lunge line, I will do that sometimes if I think they just need a bit of movement before I get on like a couple of very small circles at a trot. I really don't like snapping a lunge line or anything to the bit because that creates a ton of drag on that one side and I don't want them to begin ignoring the movements of the bit.


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## A knack for horses (Jun 17, 2010)

Nintey percent of the time I lunge a horse when they are all tacked up. To me, it seems a little pointless to make two trips to the arena/roundpen when you can just make it in one. 

I can't really say there are many benefits to it, except the extra weight of the saddle will help tire them out a little bit before you get on.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

For a greenie or a really touchy horse, it will sometimes desensitize them to the flapping things and they can get their "OMG, the stirrup bumped my side/the latigo flapped in the wind/the saddle string brushed my flank" freak out over with before getting on.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

So many different ways! I guess it depends on what you are lunging for; getting out ya-yas or lunging for respect. But I usually lunge w/o tack. Somehow, I feel the horse is more flexible and freer to do or feel what he is going to on the lungeline


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## Cloud (Jun 10, 2011)

I lunge with a bridle on and side reins with a roller. The reason I lunge is to mix up the training and also to get the horse to stretch out the back and neck. 

For me, there is no point in lunging with just a head collar as she runs around like a giraffe!!


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## apachewhitesox (Dec 9, 2010)

For me I lunge wothout tack if I am not planning on riding. 

Otherwise if I am riding afterwards my horse will have everything but the bridle on. If I am lunging before I ride, its to get them to loosen up a bit and so I can determine what sort of mood they are in, get them focused on me before actually getting on. I also sometimes find if I lunge them with the tack on I can do the girth up another hole or two after lunging before getting on.


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## candandy49 (Jan 16, 2011)

When I was training my always had been Western horse to go in English tack I saddled her for lunge work to get her acquainted with the difference in the tack. I would sometimes put her snaffle bridle on so I could lunge her in side reins. I did sometimes lunge her without tack also.


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