# MY horse won't lunge and keeps turning in to me?



## ponyforever (18 January 2011)

Whenever i lunge my 6yo she will continuously walk a few strides or attempt and a slow trot before turning in and looking at me

I have attempted to move away, use a lunge whip and use vocal encouragement but she seems always turn in after a few circles and is lazy on the lunge?

Has anyone got any ideas on how i can teach her to stay out.?

also when she turns in and i step back, she will step forwards and try to follow me and if i push her out she will walk for a few strides and turn in again, that's if i can even get her out on the circle!


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## Tilda (18 January 2011)

Have you tried using 2 lunge lines? Does she long rein? A girl at my yard had similar problems with her cob until someone suggested using two lines one on each side and the far one coming throught the stirrup and around the back and he is now fab.  My mare tends to be better with 2 but I put the far one through the stirrup and across the saddle as she is not great with things behind her.


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## maggiesmum (18 January 2011)

^^^^ I second this, it'll stop the turning it, you don't have to stop to change direction and IMO its far more beneficial than lunging.


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## nosenseofdirection (18 January 2011)

I am rubbish at lunging so probably not much help, but I had a few lessons recently and was told that if horse comes in, don't step back, step forward, with your outside shoulder towards horse, point the whip towards horse's shoulder to send it back out again and then get the horse moving more energetically with voice commands and whip (not hitting them, just gesturing with it) if needed.  Seems to work on my horse although she is generally polite anyway.

Good luck!


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## Mrs B (18 January 2011)

ponyforever said:



			Whenever i lunge my 6yo she will continuously walk a few strides or attempt and a slow trot before turning in and looking at me

I have attempted to move away, use a lunge whip and use vocal encouragement but she seems always turn in after a few circles and is lazy on the lunge?

Has anyone got any ideas on how i can teach her to stay out.?

*also when she turns in and i step back*, she will step forwards and try to follow me and if i push her out she will walk for a few strides and turn in again, that's if i can even get her out on the circle!
		
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Hello! Lunging can be a b8gger, but I think this may be your problem! SHE turns in and YOU step back, therefore, to her you are subservient.

If she turns in, you drive her out again as the dominant one - she obviously doesn't believe your vocal encouragement and lunge whip technique. MAKE her believe it by being as fierce as you need to be and she will stay out on the circle - you need to become the dominant mare here! Good luck


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## Honey08 (18 January 2011)

You should be moving towards her, not away.  She is stepping into your space, and you are backing away, therefore telling her its ok. When she turns into you, take a large step towards her, growl a bit, and send her back out.  Use your body language to say its not ok, and to move her on.  Imagine how horses do this in the field - if a lower horse goes towards a plie of hay in the field that the lead horse is eating, they move towards them and send them away...


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## Kub (18 January 2011)

Harry did this on the right rein, ALL the time. Friend helped me get him working correctly, but you have to get after them. As soon as he attempted to turn, I'd push him on with my voice with the whip close to his bum to move him on. He had a hissy fit a couple of times but soon learned I wouldn't let him get away with it and is now much much better


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## ofcourseyoucan (18 January 2011)

lunging is an art! get some help and teach your horse to lunge properly. and learn how to lunge properly!


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## Mrs B (18 January 2011)

ofcourseyoucan said:



			lunging is an art! get some help and teach your horse to lunge properly. and learn how to lunge properly!
		
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Not exactly helpful, although I do agree that lunging is an art.

As is learning how to use capital letters in a post.


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## Lurky McLurker (18 January 2011)

Can you get an instructor to help?  My horse is horrible to lunge and my instructor really helped, first by doing it herself so he knew he couldn't get away with it (when I first had him he walked all over me a little bit because I was very novicey and nervous) and then teaching me to do it myself.  She told me to stay slightly behind him all the time so I could send him forwards before he got a chance to turn in, and to make it very obvious when I actually wanted him to come in, with clear voice commands, so he wouldn't get confused and think I was asking him to come in when I wasn't.


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## Yorkshire dumpling (18 January 2011)

can you ask a friend to help you by walking with him on the out side with a lead rope? then if she starts to turn inwards they can give her a helping hand while you point the lunge whip at her nose and say "out" firmly. eventually she will get the hang of it.
have you tried some natural horsemanship techniques and games???


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## TheEquineOak (18 January 2011)

Some really great advice here! Firstly, my gelding was EXACTLY the same

I like to pretend that I am part of a triangle, with the horses shoulder being one point, the lunge whip behind him being another, and then silly old me as the third.  Break this triangle and you leave yourself wide open to a mistake/horse trying it on.

When he tried to turn in I'd give him a very clear command to go forward, if that didn't work I would growl and in worst case scenarios, crack the whip (NEVER hitting the horse)

Where abouts are you based?  I've got a couple of pretty good lunging books


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## Kokopelli (18 January 2011)

Don't ever step back when she turns to you.
When she does turn go in the direction of her hindquarters and drive her forward, keep doing this until she gets the picture. You have to move faster then her so the moment she turns you get into a driving position and make her go forwards. This is hard to explain, but I have got a video somewhere of me doing it I'll try and dig it out.


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## kirstyl (18 January 2011)

ofcourseyoucan said:



			lunging is an art! get some help and teach your horse to lunge properly. and learn how to lunge properly!
		
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I agree entirely with this.  Lungeing is an art and some horses can be far more difficult than others.  Get yourself some lessons with an experienced kind instructor who will be able to get your horse lungeing well, so that your horse understands what is expected of it before you take over the reins

QUOTE Kate Sturgess "Not exactly helpful, although I do agree that lunging is an art".

I actually think ofcourseyoucan's advice is very helpful. Someone inexperienced at lungeing is not going to be able to teach a novice horse to lunge well.  It can be really daunting if a horse misbehaves on the lunge and it is far better to get this issue sorted asap with someone who knows what they are doing!



.


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## narkymare (18 January 2011)

ofcourseyoucan said:



			lunging is an art! get some help and teach your horse to lunge properly. and learn how to lunge properly!
		
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agree with this i was told when i bought my horse he wouldnt lunge -
 i told my instructor and she said rubbish(small world but she had broke him in)
 - no he didnt like it but she got him lunging within 5 mins after a hissy fit which she totally ignored! 
Ive now had 2 lessons focussed soley on lunging him and can do it no problems - have lessons!!!


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## babymare (18 January 2011)

i dont use a whip at all  when lunging given babys background but when she turns to me, mmmmm loads of times, i use my body and a command "ahhhh ahhh ahhhh "  that means oi young lady  lol i also have done join up with her which i feel as helped her understand my body and postures - its a 2 way relationship but prob no help here lol but baby just wants to please so hey ho lol


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## Box_Of_Frogs (19 January 2011)

This is very helpful info - I have a similar problem with my miniature shetland. She is an absolute sweetheart, loves everyone, stands patiently for the noisiest toddler to come and hug her, total dream of a loving happy pony. But she's impossible to lunge. Just turns and looks at me with big sad eyes, wanting to come close for a hug. How on earth do you lunge such a sweetie without frightening her or losing that adorable nature???????


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## Bouquet (19 January 2011)

Going around & around in mindless circles is sheer drudgery for a horse.  Make it a game, because horses love games:  no more than 4 circles before a rest/reward stop.  stay still in middle, if horse moves your feet, horse wins the game (this is absolutely how the horse sees it).  when horse stops & checks in with you, say, "*Thanks* for checking, now please go back out."  When horse knows you'll stay fun & ask for 4 circles maximum, *then* refuses, slap ground behind horse with whip, because at that point you're playing fair.

It also helps to pass rope behind your back from one hand to the other, as horse circles you; takes pressure off of horse & tests her at same time.


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