Lunging Part Four
Lunging/Longeing - Part Four
When lunging, remember to keep your horse on the fence, not into the middle of the circle with you. If he drifts in, point the whip or swing the rope at his shoulder to move him back out. Keep doing that until he does a few nice clean rounds staying in a circle. Stop him and praise and pet him. Once that is almost automatic, then change directions and work on the other side. So if you started on the left, switch to the right and work on that side.
What you will be doing on the right side is exactly what you were doing on the left side. And here's some good news, in many instances once the horse has already learned what you want on one side, they may not take as long to train on the other side. Now, having said that, also note that many horses do have a good lead/side and a bad lead/side and it seems they have trouble with "getting it" on that bad side. You will be able to tell if this is the case with your horse once you have had the chance to work with both sides. This isn't something to be discouraged about. It will just require a bit more patience on both your parts to work through it.
Once you have mastered the start, walk, and stop, add in the trot and move on to the canter/lope. To trot, raise the whip a couple of feet higher. Raise your shoulders and trot. If the horse doesn't trot, cluck to him. If that does not work, crack the whip. Once in the trot (you and your horse - bet you didn't think you'd need to be in such good shape did you?), maintain your body and whip position. The horse will keep trotting until you drop your arm/whip position and slow your trot to a walk.
For the canter, raise the whip a bit higher than for the trot and kiss to the horse. And yes, you will be running as well. The nice thing about this process, aside from the fact you will be in great shape when the two of you are done, is that the horse will have learned to listen to you and respond to body and voice commands. It's always a very special feeling to see the end results of patient and loving training.
Horse Articles
A Peek Into The History Of Horse Blankets
Can You Really Tell How Old A Horse Is By Their Teeth
Horse Health Woes When To Call The Vet
When Horses Get The Flu Equine Influenza
Worms What Every Horse Owner Should Know
Mucking Issues In Caring For Your Horse
Horse Articles
... of being considered a senior horse, if your equine is 20 or older he is a veteran or campaigner. This age by the way would make him about a 60-year- old human. Your horse's ageing process will vary, and will also depend on his breed, workload, conformation, medical history and the care he receives. Each ...
Greener Pastures Is The Grass Growing Safe For Your Horse
... greener pastures-is the grass growing safe for your horse? What a thought. Who would ever think the grass growing in your pasture could ever harm your horse? Horses have a very simple, single stomach and the grass they eat has to be highly digestible, and of high quality. When it comes to greener pastures-is ...
Worms What Every Horse Owner Should Know
... little nutrients for the horse. This can cause several problems. Stunted growth, intestinal problems, artery collapse, and eventually death are common in horses affected by strongyles. By separating the older horses from the younger horses, this parasite has less chance to infect the horses. Tapeworms ...
... the following short list to get familiar with the term western tack. Breast collars, rope/webbing, western bridles, roping reins, training supplies, spurs, whips, saddles, cinches, girths, pads, horse blankets, stirrups, halters, leads, horseshoes. Does it seem overwhelming? To a beginning horse owner, ...
... him and let the bag lightly touch his back. Just quietly stand for a short bit until he feels comfortable with the bag on his back, then let it touch his belly, sides, legs, rump, withers, head, ears and chest. If you do this long enough, you might even find he will let you put the bag on his head. Again, ...
Pets and Animals is part of the Find Any Info education and information network.