# How To Lunge A Horse Without A Round Pen?



## Jennakaaate (Feb 26, 2013)

I had to take my round pen down and move it to another property, so I could work with my other horse at the time. I'm trying to get my gelding in shape this spring, but he only knows how to lunge in the round pen. For some reason, when I try to lunge him in the pasture, he just yields his hindquarters to face me. When I tap him on the butt (not hard) with the lunge whip, he will take a few steps, but they are toward me. 
Can someone please tell me how to teach my gelding to lunge out of the round pen?
Thank you!


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## Phly (Nov 14, 2012)

I've never used a round pen. And lounge all of our horses, sadly I don't know how to tell you how. I'm just not good at expressing my thoughts. Especially typing them. Just ask my wife! Lol. If you have a specific question I may be able to help though
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

it could be that you are stepping ahead of his drive line, the front shoulders. If you step ahead they will usually stop or turn into you. Try and keep in one stop to send off and then stay behind the drive line....


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

This is why I don't like round pens.......they are a crutch for the horse (as the horse has a wall to 'balance' his circles upon, ie hes not upright hunting a circle like on a lunge line out in the open, and the handler gets an easy deal in the round pen. A lot of horses who are only lunged in a round pen come out of there to be lunged in an arena or pasture and lean all over the lunge line and its like restarting all over again......I love corners, they are good teaching tool.....why'd we have to take em all away and make round pens? :lol:


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## JaphyJaphy (Nov 15, 2012)

When I was teaching mine, she'd do the same thing. What I found to be really helpful was to start with a very short line (I used a 6 ft. lead rope) and then getting her to walk around me in a very small circle. That way, when she stopped or turned towards me, I could sort of "lead" her, while also using the whip to cue her. Once she got it, I just increased the size of the circle and went from there. I agree with Muppetgirl, lunging on a line is a very useful skill for a horse to have!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Thunderspark said:


> it could be that you are stepping ahead of his drive line, the front shoulders. If you step ahead they will usually stop or turn into you. Try and keep in one stop to send off and then stay behind the drive line....


 
or that you are driving his hind quarters away from you. If he puts his hind out of the circle to face you, move his fore off back onto the circle, then put drive on his driveline, not his behind. the driveline is about where the girth is.


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## soenjer55 (Dec 4, 2011)

I also started with just a longish lead rope at a walk, so that my horse was close enough that I could quickly correct him when he turned into me or stopped. Once he learned the queues and we were both more practiced in reading each other, I moved him onto a real lounge line and bigger circles/ the faster gaits.
Remember to keep track of your body language, so you're not confusing your horse, too. Like I said, I had to work on myself just as much as I worked on my horse, haha- just learning to be more open and concise with my signals, like keeping my body open in the direction I wanted him to go. I don't know what signals you use, but I use a mixture of voice and body queues.


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## DixieMoonshine (Feb 27, 2013)

I've never used a round pen, and I know exactly what you're talking about! It's very frustrating! The way I got past this while breaking my mustang was to not start out by lunging. Clip the line to his halter and walk around him, tug his head towards you so he knows that you are the focus. Sounds weird, but its important. Then, stand at his side, point the direction you want him to go (keep your body facing the direction he needs to be going as well), click, whip the ground behind his tail. Do that two or three times and then tap him on the butt if he is still coming back in to you. Just keep sending him back out and creating energy behind him. Be firm, and don't call it quits for the day until you get him to do what you're asking. You might have to chase him around a bit so he gets the idea that he needs to keep forward movement, just make sure to keep his head in your direction because if he turns his nose out he will get away from you since there are no boundaries. It's definitely harder to lunge them without a round pen, and takes way more time for them to get the hang of it, but it makes it all worth while when you can go to the trails and free lunge him for a few seconds before a ride.


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## Mochachino (Aug 14, 2012)

Muppetgirl said:


> This is why I don't like round pens.......they are a crutch for the horse (as the horse has a wall to 'balance' his circles upon, ie hes not upright hunting a circle like on a lunge line out in the open, and the handler gets an easy deal in the round pen. A lot of horses who are only lunged in a round pen come out of there to be lunged in an arena or pasture and lean all over the lunge line and its like restarting all over again......I love corners, they are good teaching tool.....why'd we have to take em all away and make round pens? :lol:


I agree as I see this with my horse. In the round pen great but out not so good. I used to think they were great, and I still do mostly, but I think that looking back I should have been using a line in the arena as well.


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

What are you using to lunge him? A halter? Caveson? Off the bridle? If the handler is pulling the head in, the horse will step away with the quarters. 

This is precisely why the horse has to learn to lunge properly in the first place. First question: Do you not have a fence line/corner to start in? Next: the caveson hand must face the horse's head (elbow bent just like riding), the whip points at the croup (raising whip means go/lowering means slow or stop). Start with a HELPER (on the outside) and have them lead the horse. Be far enough away that you cannot get (cow) kicked, but not so far that the whip cannot touch the point of the hip. Go/stop with helper. Than have them drop away. (Ideally having side reins will help keep the horse straight as well, so if you pull too much the horse is less likely to turn to face you.....which is typical round pen behavior: you cut the horse off it turns away/you drop behind the horse faces or comes to you)

Nevertheless if he is facing you it is easier to get him going again (even if it is slightly leg yielding away). But it is up to you to keep him in the 'pie' of hand pointing at head and whip hand pointing at hip. Remember he has to move, ideally you stay in one place.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

Tap his shoulder, not his butt. When you tap his butt it means you are asking him to stop.


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

Although pointing the whip at the shoulder can keep the horse out on the circle, the whip is to point at the croup (or where the leg would be) or swing into the hind legs. NO whip use should ever result in a horse stopping.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

No, I never use anything to stop my horses. I just walk towards their hind. if they don't slow down then I point and tap the air with my stick. If they still don't listen then I will slightly tap them - but I rarely have to use it at all. I tap their shoulder to go, that's it.


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## equitate (Dec 14, 2012)

Walking toward a horse('s butt) will turn them toward you which is hte problem the OP has at this point (if I understand it correctly) ad wjat NH do in a round pen. (and cutting them off by being in front will turn them away).

Ideally lunge and round pen are to support riding behaviors (not ones in isolation). Ideally touches of whip (behiind leg or on hindquarters) teach GO. Why do it backward to what you will need later (ie touch the horse on the quarter and it equals stop?)? Work in hand is usually whip raised=go, whip lowered= slow or stop (will be useful for horses for piaffe in the long run as well if one is headed in that directions).


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

I don't do it that way, haha! maybe that's why we don't agree! lol. yes, but then by the sound of your way - it does sound right.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

It sounds as if your horse has just been following the rails of the round pen rather than actually listening to you and has become robotised. You removed his guideline and he's confused.
I would be inclined to start off with a short lunge line - folded up in your hand - and use your arm to create the angle with a whip to extend that length and 'tell' the horse that its not Ok to come in to say 'Hi'
I think he may be seeing the tap on his butt more as a signal to move it over rather than move himself forwards so being able to keep that pressure behind his butt to drive him forwards rather than on the side of it might help
Keep your body language active but not threatening as you dont want him taking off across the field
Begin with whatever command you use to say whoa and stand and then ask him to walk on verbally - I say 'walk on' and also use a clucking noise. Once he understand this then gradually give more length on the lunge line to increase the distance between you and him while regularly asking for the 'whoa' and 'stand'.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

amberly said:


> Tap his shoulder, not his butt. When you tap his butt it means you are asking him to stop.


 
I think what you mean by this is that a tap of the whip/leadline on his hip would mean "step your hiney over , disengage and stop". 
Do I read that correctly?


I haven't read the whole thread, so forgive me if I repeat what others have said. Trying to lunge a horse and having the horse turn and face the handler is a VERY common problem. the handler then tries to circle aorund to get access to the horse's side in order to drive them forward, and the horse keeps moving the hind end away , facing the human and soon the horse is "lunging" the human.

In lunging, you want to stay somewhat anchored in the middle. When I lunge, I do walk a small circle, almost pivotting on my inside foot, while facing the horse. My outside foot's toe will be pointed at the horse's shoulder.

So, your problem is to get the hrose to give you it's driveline (the area where you leg would normally aply a little pressure to say "forward"). if the hrose persists in facing you, you have to get it to move its' face/shoulder out away from you, out onto the circle, right?

So, start by putting pressure on the inside edge of his face (like, aim for his inside cheek/nostril). applying pressure means kind of "tapping" the air with your hand, or if the hrose is dull, swingingthe lead line or even vibrating the whip in the air-pointed right at that spot. 

you want the horse to move away from you with his front legs. you want him to step sideways with his outside front leg, onto the track of your imaginary circle. When he does, you will be able to shift the focus of your driving pressure furthe back toward his driveline. 

Also important is that you keep a forward leading pull on the line with your leading hand. you want the horse to be thinking in the direction you want him to move. So, put some feel on the rope and even a few tugs. watch his eyes and ears to see if he is looking in the area you want him to go. when he does, support that with a soft drive on his drive line. So, he's thinking forward, and you get his feet to follow his thought.


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## LisaG (Nov 11, 2012)

There are lots of different cues you can use while lunging, but make sure you're not asking the horse to come in to you (whatever your cue for that may be). If your horse is particularly sensitive to body language, that could be the problem. For example, I take a step back to ask my horses to come in, and they will want to come in as soon as I start to shift my weight back.

Otherwise, I would add more pressure until the horse goes. I have a colt that really likes to come in (which is nice because he joins up easily). I had to be fairly firm with him at first to keep him working, but now he gets it.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

tinyliny said:


> I think what you mean by this is that a tap of the whip/leadline on his hip would mean "step your hiney over , disengage and stop".
> Do I read that correctly?


Yes, and sorry, I should have said "disengage." When I make any movements towards my horses hind end, except the regular walking, then I am asking them to Disengage and to stop and face me, but don't walk forward until I ask.

Brisco has that problem, ever time I stop him, he walks forward. He is getting so much better though. Now I only need to give him a little wave of the hand and he stops completely.


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## xoxosalem (Mar 6, 2013)

*Practice*

Practice in a semi enclosed area and then slowly, day by day move out more so he's not enclosed anymore, like in a pasture etc. My Gelding was doing this, because he was never lunged before, I just walked to his side, and started lunging again until he knew he wasn't getting anywhere with this behavior..


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