Lunging help

[mygirlmaggie]

I have been trying to figure out how to fix a lunging problem..never really addressed it before but then it just kinda came to me I really need to fix it. My mare lunges very well...will do it herself. She changes directions, gaits, and stops on a dime. The problem is when she changes directions she'll come right at me and zoom past me. I'm not sure how to correct it. I've smacked her with the whip which works for a bit but she does it again. I'm not sure why she feels it's important to cut the circle. I just worry because if she wanted to kick she'd nail me instantly. I know she wouldn't but I won't say never. So what could I do to correct this? I think I'm going about it wrong somehow. She respects me but I think at that time she's playing the see what I can get away with.

[Spyder]

The problem is when she changes directions she'll come right at me and zoom past me.


Probably a conditioned response set up as the result of just pulling the horse in to change direction.

[Palogal]

Slow her roll when she's lunging. Make her halt, walk to her and turn her around. Teach her to stay on the circle when she turns around. Make sure she has a good whoa when she's lunging.

[WashingtonBay]

I will say that I am guessing to some degree because I don't usually train mine to reverse on the circle, I usually halt and take the opportunity to go to them, praise, then switch directions and send them back out, but I think what's missing is the cue to complete the turn. As Spyder said, you've got her half turned, and from her perspective, the shortest distance, the easiest distance, is a straight line until she hits the line again. So I would start her at the walk, say 'reverse', or whatever word it is you use, and when she gets half way turned, you need to cue her again to keep turning till she's all the way around... I use "move out" when starting them on the lunge, this means for them to widen out, move away from me... I'd use that, with a turning whip cue, when she's at that moment facing you... and I'd do it at the walk so you have time, and she's got time to think and not so much momentum.

[mygirlmaggie]

Ahh that makes sense. When I trained her to switch directions I just worked on it but never at a slow speed. I didn't teach her to change directions by yanking at all. I stepped in front of her and tapped her neck when she would turn her head. She switched and would go the other way. I can get her to change directions just by putting the rope in my other hand and pointing now and she'll change. She just zooms past. But now I understand what I did wrong. And I can go back and start slow and re-train it into her.

[Palogal]

Ahh that makes sense. When I trained her to switch directions I just worked on it but never at a slow speed. I didn't teach her to change directions by yanking at all. I stepped in front of her and tapped her neck when she would turn her head. She switched and would go the other way. I can get her to change directions just by putting the rope in my other hand and pointing now and she'll change. She just zooms past. But now I understand what I did wrong. And I can go back and start slow and re-train it into her.

Absolutely, weather you teach her to turn around on the circle or halt and look at you, put that pause in there to re-focus and control the movement.

[mygirlmaggie]

The other thing I thought of could it be her rope is too short? So when she goes to turn she feels the pull? It's about 10' long. So she's about 7 feet from me give or take. I do have a long long one but was scared of her getting her legs caught up in it. Which when she does get her feet caught in any rope thankfully she knows to stop and wait for me to untangle her. Had problems with that when I tied her out to graze a few times.

[WashingtonBay]

Well, while this kind of thing can be taught close in, that length isn't near long enough to get a good-sized circle to work them at speed.

[Palogal]

The other thing I thought of could it be her rope is too short? So when she goes to turn she feels the pull? It's about 10' long. So she's about 7 feet from me give or take. I do have a long long one but was scared of her getting her legs caught up in it. Which when she does get her feet caught in any rope thankfully she knows to stop and wait for me to untangle her. Had problems with that when I tied her out to graze a few times.

Yes, that could be the problem, not to mention it's awfully hard on her legs. If you slow her down and control her a little more she shouldn't get her legs tied up in it. If she does, LET GO and tell her to WHOA so you can untangle her. I've not had problems with horses getting tangled, at least not any bad ones.