Use these 3 tips and easily Lunge your Naughty Horse

In this article I will talk about 3 year old Fergie’s antics under tack and being lunged.

Fergie had previously taken to a bridle and saddle with complete ease. However, I had some experience of Fergie trying to take control in new learning situations and made preparations.

Tip 1

I used a 6mm rope halter with a knot in the middle of the noseband and all this under a snaffle bridle with a tight noseband. I adapted a lunge rein so that there were three clips. The middle clip attached to the halter and the other two attached to each snaffle ring. This gave me some advantages should we have a difference of opinion.

The advantages

• The 6m halter would apply more poll pressure than the wider bridle head piece.
• The halter noseband with a knot in the centre would apply more nose pressure than the bridle.
• Independent clips to each snaffle would apply even pressure on the mouth bars.

Fergie makes issues being taken to the field for her first lunge

The first time I tacked Fergie and took her down the drive to the small field for lunging caused issues. Fergie led nicely under full tack until she felt like saying, “I no longer want to cooperate”. At this point she stopped and launched into a very impressive display of alternating between bucking on the spot and rearing on the spot. She kept this up for about ten bucks and ten rears.

I did nothing

Fergie tested her boundaries and awaited my response. I simple slipped the lunge so that I occupied a safe distance away from her of about 7 foot, and let her get on with it. After realising her antics had no effect, she stopped and I led her down to the field. To this day she has never tried that again.

Fergie puts on her parts on the lunge

I suspected she would do this and she obliged. To start with she moved away to the end of the lung and cantered in the required direction in excitement. Now you can guess what happened next. She stopped and executed a rear so big that she made two steps backwards to keep her balance. On landing she tried to take off in the opposite direction. Fergie still felt she should be in control. I moved round to stop her going in the wrong direction. I also gave two jerks to the lunge rein. cracked my lung whip and made some growling noises.

Tip 2 – no constant pulls

I did not take constant hold to prevent anti social behaviour. Quick jerks will be listened to. This is because horses respond to the release of pressure and will fight constant pressure. They are stronger and will win if you take a constant hold!

That did the trick and she moved off in the desired direction. When Fergie wanted to slow I made her continue. By moving her feet and making her comply I would establish dominance and lead mare status.

Tip 3 – drive the horse on

Remember, in a herd the dominant mare drives other mares away. Making Fergie move her feet in the direction I wanted and in particular, when she wanted to slow would help establish my dominance.

It would be tempting to reward a naughty horse when they have complied a little by letting them reduce speed when they want to go slower. This behaviour establishes the horse as dominant over the human.

Fergie played up a little on the other rein but from this point in time realised rearing could be a bit hairy and only executed a few bucks without trying to change direction.

Fergie now lunges well, although she always puts in some big bucks to start with. She then really settles down and gets on with things. She accepts humans as above her in the pecking order, but can not resist youthful exuberance.