25/06/2025
Itโs a yes from me! ๐
How to feel about lunging?
A common statement I often hear or see is โmy horse wonโt lungeโ and the truth of the matter is no horse naturally lunges themselves - itโs very much an unnatural thing for a horse. Thatโs not to say itโs of no use. Quite the opposite in fact! That said, everyoneโs idea of how and why they lunge can vary greatly.
Lunging is a dance of subtle communication between horse and handler. How aggressive your posture is, the angle of your body to the horse, your aids, your eye contact, your voice, your intentions and your understanding all play a vital role in how your horse will react to you. It can either be a wonderful diagnostic tool to improve or it can become a hot mess of horse running around in small circles, dangerously out of control that can cause injury and a lack of confidence in striding.
The beauty of lunging is in working out why you are doing it. To the novice, itโs more about exercise and they donโt see any more than that. To the knowledgeable person, itโs a chance to see how even the stride is and how balanced the horse is. Do the hinds step into or beyond the front hoof print? Does the tail swing with the stride, does the horse bend softly through the entire body? Does the inside hoof track slightly to the inside of the front hoof print in a small circle, does the horse pay attention for the next command, can my horse spiral in/out while maintaining balance? Is my horse relaxed or finding lunging stressful? Do the shoulders fall in with the horse counter balancing to the outside?
Lunging is the chance to unburden the horse from our clumsy meat sacks and really observe how they use themselves on a circle. If our riding is good enough the horse will have learned to carry itself in a soft relaxed way lunging first. If the rider influences/interferes with the horse too much then you have not trained the horse to carry itself in lightness and lunging is a fruitless exercise.
Lunging should be trained. Start with a soft yielding circle in close connection at walk, following the horseโs movement and being mindful of where you are. Every part of your body can be used to communicate the message to the horse. Learn to raise and lower your energy to communicate speed/tempo this is the communication a horse responds to kindly. I often see horses completely checked out while lunging and their humans frustrated at having to nag with a lunge whip. True connection to the horse keeps it seeking communication and guidance, so this response is to preserve themselves mentally. Their mind has wandered elsewhere, away from the drudgery of lunging. The opposite is true for sensitive horses who get extremely tense, as a tense horse will counter bend, slip and the lack of footing sends them into a panic running frantically. This response from a sensitive horse is to protect their body, they are in flight mode. Neither scenario is beneficial.
Lunging is an honest guide to how your horse is feeling mentally and physically. I highly recommend Manolo Mendez's work if you are looking for a practical guide. Both lunging and in hand work can open new channels of connection and communication with your horse. I also find itโs one of the most useful tools for rehab work and can build a string topline quickly if itโs done thoughtfully. Some people wonโt have read this far and dismissed it as voo doo ......I can remember thinking this way but the skill of horses is in the minute details, thatโs where the magic happens.
Training aides and why they are unnecessary is a whole other post.
Happy lunging ๐
Photo of my gorgeous ex PRE stallion Alegria Asombroso.
