# Lunging: stirrups up or down?



## AABBCC (19 July 2016)

What do people think? I've heard some say that if they're down then it only encourages them to go faster and faster as they link it to a rider kicking but I've also heard people say that the horse should be okay with them flapping etc...


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## JennBags (19 July 2016)

If you have to lunge with a saddle on, then I'd never leave the stirrups down, recipe for disaster.


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## be positive (19 July 2016)

JennBags said:



			If you have to lunge with a saddle on, then I'd never leave the stirrups down, recipe for disaster.
		
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They should be securely put up for safety as they can get caught or flap about but they should not be something the horse is generally scared of as during the breaking process it is an important part of desensitising, I always lunge an unbroken horse with them down, normally tied to the girth initially until they are used to them being against their sides, then loose so they do bang about but it is done with caution and for a good reason, once they are backed and riding confidently it serves no purpose to leave them down.


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## JillA (19 July 2016)

It must be a huge irritant to a horse if they are down and banging around


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## The Fuzzy Furry (19 July 2016)

be positive said:



			They should be securely put up for safety as they can get caught or flap about but they should not be something the horse is generally scared of as during the breaking process it is an important part of desensitising, I always lunge an unbroken horse with them down, normally tied to the girth initially until they are used to them being against their sides, then loose so they do bang about but it is done with caution and for a good reason, *once they are backed and riding confidently it serves no purpose to leave them down*.
		
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Totally agree with the above ^ especially the final highlighted line


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## Micky (19 July 2016)

Don't lunge with a saddle on..


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## FfionWinnie (19 July 2016)

I utterly hate seeing stirrups banging around on a horse.  I would always secure them or use a roller.   Many ways to desensitise a horse, leaving lumps of metal to batter them in the ribs in an uncontrolled way, would never be my choice.


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## Shay (19 July 2016)

There is no reason to lunge with stirrups down.  If your instructor has suggested this I would be very wary.  I take the possible point about de-sentitizing during the breaking process when undertaken only by someone very experienced.  (I wouldn't myself - but I can see the point.)  But otherwise it would be irresponsible in the extreme and potentially very dangerous.  If you must lunge under saddle always secure the stirrups completely.  Run them up then knot the leather over the top of the iron so they cannot fall down.  Or better still take them off all together.


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## Bernster (19 July 2016)

Generally don't lunge with saddle on but would have stirrups up, apart from as others have said, on younger horses to help as part of the backing/de-sensitising process.  My ins did that with my boy when I first got him, to see how he reacted etc.


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## only_me (19 July 2016)

Usually lunge with Stirrups properly put up. Have long reined with stirrups down as the lines went through the stirrup.


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## Cortez (19 July 2016)

Down, but tied to girth. I ride very long and the irons will bash the elbow if left to flap about; not nice for the horse.


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## Hallo2012 (19 July 2016)

down but not too long after hearing about a horse that exploded and got loose and bronced so hard the stirrup swung back,it put it foot through the stirrup and fell over breaking its neck.


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## Damnation (19 July 2016)

If they are down you can secure them via an extra stirrup leather under the belly but I do wonder if this is comfortable as to make the stirrups stop flapping it would have to be quite tight and the stirrups could dig in.

In a nutshell, secure them up or take then off the saddle completely. Its only 30 seconds to put them back on.


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## EQUIDAE (19 July 2016)

I lunge with two lines and run the outside line through the stirrup, with the inside one up. I long line with them both down and the lines running through them.


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## Goldenstar (19 July 2016)

When I was somewhere were we started a lot of horses we lunged with the stirrups down once the horse was used to the saddle we accustomed them to the stirrups flapping around .
You had them short enough to avoid banging the elbow .
We did it with every single horse that came in for backing and I must say the boss turned out sensible horses .


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## eggs (20 July 2016)

I do the same as Goldenstar but then when they are backed and ridden away I very rarely lunge with a saddle but when I do the stirrups would always be up.


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## TelH (20 July 2016)

Damnation said:



			In a nutshell, secure them up or take then off the saddle completely. Its only 30 seconds to put them back on.
		
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^^^^ This is what I was taught when I did my BHS exams a very long time ago and it's what I have always done.


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## EBHouse (20 July 2016)

Would absolutely never have them down on the lunge unless for the purpose of desensitising a young horse as already stated, and even then I'd be wary. Dead easy to secure them so they don't slide down with the movement. Found this image on google;


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## only_me (20 July 2016)

EBHouse said:








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Yep that's how it's taught in PC to secure stirrups for lunging. Is also BHS way, as YO taught me that too


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## EBHouse (20 July 2016)

only_me said:



			Yep that's how it's taught in PC to secure stirrups for lunging. Is also BHS way, as YO taught me that too
		
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Yes that's what I was taught to do for all my BHS exams


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## AABBCC (20 July 2016)

I noticed a lot of the replies say that they wouldn't lunge with a saddle on, just curious as to why?
Thanks


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## Shay (21 July 2016)

You could turn that around and ask why you would lunge with a saddle on!  There are two reasons to lunge I suppose. (Oh.. just thought of a third...) You can lunge with tack solely to shake the tickles out and let the horse get any excess energy out before the rider gets on.  The sole intent in that really is to let the horse run around in circles and  calm down a bit.  You may as well do that with a saddle on rather than tack up after.

Third one I just thought of - as part of the backing process you will lunge and possibly long line with tack on as part of the education process.

The other main reason to lunge is to improve your horse's way of going.  Either as a normal part of exercise or for re-hab.   You will want to see what the muscles over the back are doing.  How the shoulders move without the restriction of a saddle.  What the horse can achieve naturally in terms of tracking up, self carriage etc.  What corrections can be achieved and that the way of working is correct through the body.  That is far harder to see - and in fact in some cases would be significantly hampered - by the bulk of a saddle sitting in the middle.


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## Cortez (21 July 2016)

I will lunge with the saddle on:

If I'm going to be both lunging and riding, 

If I'm breaking as part of the "getting used to wearing tack" stage, 

If I want to see how the saddle is sitting, 

If I'm lunging a student. 

Otherwise I will lunge with a roller.


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## GermanyJo (21 July 2016)

If I am 'breaking in' then I would (and do) definately, without exception lunge with the stirrups down at some stage .. I do make sure the stirrups are short enough to not be banging on the elbows .. but yes .. I want to get them so they are not bothered by that stuff before I put my bum in the saddle. If I thought I would have a disaster / wreck if I lunged a horse with the stirrups down then I would not be getting on it yet ! 
I also pop them over a x pole or a cavelleti with the saddle on and then if that is ok with the stirrups down to before getting on them .. often uncovers a hidden bronk or 2  .


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