# Lungeing- should I use a cavesson, halter or bridle?



## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

I prefer the lunging cavesson with the rope link on top. I find the horse holds his head in a better position much sooner. 

Otherwise I will use an ordinary halter. When the horse is going forward well I will put the bridle on with side-reins (assuming he is mouthed). I will use the halter rather than the lunging halter if the rope I am using is too heavy as it will pull the lunge halter to one side disturbing the horses balance.

I never use the lunge-rope on the bit, I want the horse responding to verbal and my body cue's not tugs on his mouth. I know others here think differently on this point.

:gallop:


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## MissMilltown1 (Apr 13, 2016)

I use all three, though I like to use the halter the most. My horse is very sharp and usually I lunge her before I ride, therefore usually she's lunged in her tack in which case I'll either put the cavesson over the bridle or lunge from the bridle...if I don't feel like riding or don't have enough time then I'll put her in a roller and side reins or Pessoa. But some days I like to just let her lunge in just her head collar...I guess it depends on what kind of work you want doing and what equipment your using.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

depends on where the horse is at,far as training
On a green horse, not bitted up, I just lunge off a plain halter, or free lunge in the round pen
If that horse tries to pull away, needs more control, I will lunge with a stud shank, run under the chin, changing hook up with direction. Only takes a few times, and then I go back to a plain halter.
On a broke horse, that needs to be lunged for a few minutes, like a jr horse, at his first few shows, I will lunge him off of the inside ring of the snaffle, bitted up. I then only need to unsnap that lunge line and get on and ride
I don't lunge broke older horses before riding


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I like to use a lunging cavesson on a horse that's just starting out but afterwards I use a leather or a good nylon halter (headcollar in UK speak) 
I sometimes lunge instead of riding these days when my knees start to complain too much and I've got three to work, I always lunge a broke horse in tack off a halter put over the top of the bridle 
If I have to lunge off a bridle I either use a lead rein attachment to clip the lunge line too 
Fast Tack Direct
or I run the clip end of the lunge line through the bit on one side, run it over the top of the poll and clip it to the bit on the other side, you have to swap it all over when you change direction which is a pain so not something I'd do out of choice


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I start with a lunging cavesson. I never use a halter, as they simply don't fit well enough not to slip and slide. I also use a lunging surcingle, to get them used to a tight object around the girth area.

I lung ONLY long enough to teach voice cues and manners on the line. Then, I bit the horse and start with elementary ground driving using the surcingle. 

I dislike lunging, as it teaches little beyond the voice cues and manners, compared to what they can learn in driving lines. And, it is much easier on their joints to ground drive.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Allison Finch said:


> I start with a lunging cavesson. I never use a halter, as they simply don't fit well enough not to slip and slide. I also use a lunging surcingle, to get them used to a tight object around the girth area.
> 
> I lung ONLY long enough to teach voice cues and manners on the line. Then, I bit the horse and start with elementary ground driving using the surcingle.
> 
> I dislike lunging, as it teaches little beyond the voice cues and manners, compared to what they can learn in driving lines. And, it is much easier on their joints to ground drive.


 Yes, too much lunging is not good, but I think it is a better way to bit a horse up, then ground driving
Don't get me wrong, I used ground driving a lot, esp before my knees got bad
But, all things have their negative, and if you ground drive, but can't keep slack in the lines, you are going to get that horse on his forehand or even behind the vertical, as nothing else!
You have heck of a lot of leverage on those reins, with your feet on the ground!
A reining trainer told me, to only ground drive a horse once or twice, or you risk getting him heavy on that bit. That changed my thinking, far as ground driving for any extended length of time.
I find, done correctly, you can bit a horse up gradually, while lunging, or, as I did in the past, and still more of a working horse training method- bit the horse, check his head around a few times, and then just get on and ride.
My older horses never did learn to lunge.
Lunging is way over done by rail riders, JMO!


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## gee50 (Dec 31, 2014)

Mechanically the cavesson, halter and bridle are all the same. I use duel lines from a bitless bridle (a standard bridle is just fine) run through the stirrups of the saddle in lieu of a surcingle.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I'm someone else that wouldn't use the stirrups to run long/drive lines through - they encourage too low a headset and you risk having a horse that's 'tunneling' along on its forehand 
If someone doesn't own a surcingle then at least run the stirrups up and secure them there with some twine if you need to run the line through them
Everything we do on the ground is about what we're going to do in the saddle and unless you're training a Drum Horse for the British Household Cavalry you don't have rein control coming from where your feet are


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

jaydee said:


> I'm someone else that wouldn't use the stirrups to run long/drive lines through - they encourage too low a headset and you risk having a horse that's 'tunneling' along on its forehand
> If someone doesn't own a surcingle then at least run the stirrups up and secure them there with some twine if you need to run the line through them
> Everything we do on the ground is about what we're going to do in the saddle and unless you're training a Drum Horse for the British Household Cavalry you don't have rein control coming from where your feet are


True, and I do own a surcingle, but at the same time, my horses are geared towards becoming riding horses, that are very light, and you also don't achieve that by driving them for any length of time, and even a surcingle, if you wish to get picky, have the rein signal coming lower then your hands should be, plus I don't ride with my feet on the ground either!


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## ShirtHotTeez (Sep 23, 2014)

What I like about lunging, apart from learning voice cues is that a horse learns to balance himself. At first their paces are often 'choppy'.. fast/slow, stop/start, and lunging teaches them to move forward steadily at walk/trot/canter. And although when they are ridden they have to adjust to the extra weight of the rider, they have some clues as to what is expected.

I like to drive them as well, for a short time. They learn a bit more about cues from the reins, have reins and voice directly behind, and I work on getting them moving forward without hanging on the bit. I would think it necessary if you are putting your horse in a cart. Not sure I could do it now though, I just don't think I could keep up any more. Even when they walk sometimes I have to jog!!


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