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Why Spend Time on the Lungeline?
Most people think of lungeline work as repetitive and boring. It shouldn't be. In fact, it is a terrific tool that can provide shortcuts in training and learning. And, Yes, it can be difficult, at first, to handle the lungeline AND the whip AND pay attention to what the horse is doing, but if you persist the rewards are great!
Learning to Ride on the Lungeline
For the beginning rider, lungeline lessons are the BEST way to learn to ride. It is also the SAFEST. Ask any experienced rider how they started and they will tell you about getting on anything with four legs because they were so eager to ride. Then, they'll tell you stories of the disasters that happened as a result of this strategy. Much better to learn your riding skills in a controlled situation on a rock solid horse who knows his business!
In lungeline lessons the beginning rider gets the chance to develop balance in all three gaits before using the reins and having to steer. Because the instructor is controlling the horse from the ground, situations are avoided in which an otherwise sane horse gets defensive due to rough aids and resorts to questionable or dangerous behavior.
For the more experienced rider, a lungeline session is an opportunity to review basic body position, balance and effectiveness of aids while riding without reins or stirrups. Add in some stretching and bending exercises while cantering, to make the session more challenging!
For detailed information, see our Recommended Book List for these titles:
LUNGEING THE HORSE & RIDER by Sheila Inderwick
LESSONS ON THE LUNGE FOR HORSE & RIDER by Molly SivewrightLungeline Work as Foundation Training of the Horse
During lungeline training, your young or green horse will become physically fit by gaining muscle and developing stamina. He will also learn to go forward, bend on a circle, and work from stretched muscles. You can teach him to have a good work ethic by increasing his attention span and requiring obedience to your voice commands, all of which will carry over into your riding.
For the rider: You get to see the quality of your horse's gaits improve as he develops physically. You also get to see what his attitude is when you ask him to work, so you know what you will be dealing with under saddle. When you do ride him, he will already have forward movement, tempo, bend, stretch, all the things that feel good under the saddle! The lungeline work you did earlier can be a safety net for work under saddle. If the horse doesn't understand reins aids or is nervous about mounted work, riding him on the lungeline can be a familiar and reassuring way to introduce him to new things.
Got an older, out of condition horse? How about an unathletic horse or even a bad moving horse? Set up a regular schedule of lungeline training and see improvement in how these horses go! The simple fact of moving forward and changing gaits on a circle can do miracles. Add some work in side reins and the result will be stretching through the neck and back muscles, resulting in relaxation and a more athletic way of going.
For detailed information, see our Recommended Book List for these titles:LUNGEING & LONG-REINING by Jennie Loriston-Clarke
THE YOUNG HORSE, BREAKING & TRAINING by Jennie Loriston-ClarkeThe First time you Lunge your Horse
If you have no experience handling lungeing equipment, we suggest that you take the time to practice lungeing with an experienced horse before handling your young or green horse. Here are some general guidelines and hints that will help make your initial efforts at lungeline work easier.
The right equipment - At the very least you will need a lungeline and a lunge whip. The lungeline should be long enough to allow for a large (20M) circle and the whip should be long enough to touch the horse with the end of the lash when he is on the circle. Most people tack the horse up with saddle, bridle, side reins, lungeline and a bit attachment. You can also use a surcingle in place of the saddle. A lungeing caves on over the bridle is useful but not always readily available. Decide where to lunge your horse. A lungeing ring or round pen is preferred but lungeing has been known to take place in a large arena. If this is your situation, pick a corner so the horse has a fence to follow on at least two sides of the circle.
Body position and voice commands - Your goal is to get the horse moving on a circle around you while you stand in the middle holding the line and whip. You influence the horse by your body position in relation to his body and by the use of voice commands. It's important that you stay stationary in the middle of the circle rather than walking out to the horse or letting him drag you around. You're the anchor of a triangle that is formed by the lungeline, the horse and the whip. As a guideline, keep him moving so that his shoulders are a little ahead of your body. Your body will be opposite the saddle area, and you will point the whip at his hind quarters. If the horse tries to cut in on the circle you will point the whip at his shoulder and say "Out". Once he is back on the circle, you go back to your triangle position.
Your voice commands will tell him to go or stop. If you say a command with rising inflection in your voice, he will want to go faster. "Ter-rot!" A long, drawn out, lower tone will encourage him to slow down. "Wa-alk..."
Warm up - Most horses take some time to warm up to work so allow for that on the lungeline. If you are using side reins, hook them to the saddle but not to the bridle until after the warm up period is over. In general, allow for the first five minutes of your session as a time when the horse can choose his own speed (trot or canter) as long as he is maintaining the triangle position and going around the circle. He may even put in a playful buck! You want him to loosen up and move forward freely without getting too wound up and excited.
Working and side reins - Once the horse has gotten rid of all his bucks and snorts, it's time to get down to work. Bring him to a halt and adjust the side reins. It's best to hook the outside side rein to the bit first, followed by the inside side rein. If the horse is new to side reins, adjust them so there is some slack in the reins. This gives him the chance to get used to the idea of contact on the bit without feeling panicked. As he gets used to the steadiness of the side reins and goes more forward into the contact, you will gradually adjust the length to take out some of the slack.
Time and repetition - Don't spend a lot of time walking in side reins. The whole point of work in side reins is to teach the horse how to go forward into steady contact. So spend the work time on trot and canter. Teach him to transition from one gait to the next with your verbal commands. Be sure to do the same amount of work on both reins. The total amount of lungeline time doesn't have to be long. Twenty to thirty minutes per session is plenty.
Cool out - When you are both ready to quit, the horse needs time to walk - without side reins - to cool out. Hook the bit ends back onto the saddle so they aren't hanging down by his legs while he walks.
A weekly schedule - If you or your horse are new to lungeline work then it is worth your while to do it often enough for you both to get a good routine going. Some people use lungeline work as a warm up for their young horse before each ride. Others incorporate it into the weekly schedule with other activities such as flat work, trail riding or work over jumps. Once you have developed the skills needed to do lungeline work, you have another useful tool in your training toolbox!
For detailed information, see our Recommended Book List for these titles:
LUNGEING: The Official Instruction Handbook of the German National Equestrian Federation, Book 6
LONGEING & LONGLINING THE ENGLISH & WESTERN HORSE; A TOTAL PROGRAM by Cherry Hill
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