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Exercising Your Horse on the Lunge by Gina Krueger

Last month we discussed the necessary equipment, it’s adjustment and use to properly work your horse on the lunge. To review this information you may view the past articles on the Garland Farms web site at www.gfdressage.com. Now, with the equipment in place and your horse suitably familiarized with the basic lunge line work, we are ready to investigate exercises on the lunge to assist you in developing your horse to his best potential. The three areas of development that need attention as you care for your horses’ development are Strength, Suppleness and Cardiovascular Fitness. We are able to address all three of these areas on the lunge, in a progressive manner, which will enhance the training of the horse.

Exercises on the lunge must always follow the “Scale of Training” outline just as your mounted work should. The six steps in the “Scale of Training” are Rhythm, Relaxation, Contact, Impulsion, Straightness and Collection. I am not going to go into the training scale in depth here, as it will be the focus of next month’s article, it will suffice to say that your horses’ training must reflect the succession outlined in the training scale to be progressive and thus valuable.

When beginning your work session on the lunge, make sure that you give your horse proper preliminary warm up time. It takes about 6 minutes for the fluid in the joints to become viscous enough to provide proper lubrication. In cold weather and any time that the horse has been confined to a stall this is vital. The preliminary warm up phase should consist of walking in a relaxed frame, on a long rein. This can either be done on the lunge in a large circle or by simply leading the horse around the area in hand for the duration of this phase. Now the horse is ready to begin the work phase. The first work phase should be in the direction of the horses’ natural bend. If the horse is allowed to first work into his natural way of going this will promote relaxation. This is to say that if your horse has his shorter muscles on his right side, as is most often the case, then begin your first work phase to the right. Once the horse has worked in this direction it will be easier for him to conform to the circle line correctly when you change direction and go to the left. If you are not sure of which side of your horse is his short muscle side here are some hints. One, usually the mane will lie to the side that has the shorter more concave muscles. Two, the neck of your horse will look more pronounced, flatter, smoother on the long muscled side. Third, from the rear you will see that your horse tracks closer to his centerline with the hind leg that is on his shorter more concave muscled side, and further towards the side, away from his centerline, with the hind leg that is on his longer more convex muscled side.

In the initial lunge phase incorporate exercises that are familiar to the horse that he will be comfortable with. The time to introduce new or more rigorous exercises is in the third and forth phase, that is 10 to 15 minutes into the session. The first two phases consist of 5 to 7 minutes in each direction. The third phase begins the second time in the first direction. Now we can introduce problem specific exercises. In the forth phase these exercises will be repeated in the new direction. The duration of the exercises now becomes specific to the problem being addressed. For example if the horse is particularly lacking balance in transitions to the left then it will be of greater importance to practice more transitions when lungeing in this direction, etc. Total work out time on the lunge should rarely exceed 30 minutes and should more commonly be completed in 20 to 25 minutes. If your horse needs a break don’t hesitate to unhook the side reins and allow him to walk on a long rein for a few minutes in the middle of the session.

Exercises to address the overall strengthening of the horse should incorporate frequent transitions. Any time that you change the inertia of the horses’ movement this becomes a strengthening exercise. Transitions can be made from one gait to the next, both upwards and downwards. Walk to Trot and back to Walk, Trot to Canter and so forth are all examples of Consecutive Gait transitions. Non Consecutive Gait transitions can also be used, but only when they can be initiated in a relaxed manner. Walk to Canter and back to Walk, Halt to Trot and so forth are all Non Consecutive Gait transitions. Only horses that are rather advanced in their training are able to make these kinds of transitions with ease and subscribe to the training scale. Transitions Within the Gaits is a favorite exercise and most all horses feel comfortable performing these. Transitions within the gaits consist of adjusting the tempo of the Walk, Trot or Canter. Transitions within walk are the most difficult. Begin introducing the Transitions Within the Gait in trot. Quietly bring your horse into a slow relaxed trot and then encourage him to extend the strides into a stronger, more ground covering trot, and then back again. In the beginning don’t hold you or your horse to a specific distance or number of strides, look for the quality of the trot to be maintained throughout the exercise. When you and your horse feel confident in the execution of the exercise try performing the exercise within a described setting. Begin with ½ a circle in the strong trot and half in the lesser trot, or perhaps describe a number of strides. Ten strides of strong trot and transition back to working trot for ten strides, etc.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of your adherence to the Scale of Training when lungeing your horse. The transitions must be accomplished with quiet control. Using your voice and even tension on the line to communicate your desires to your horse. Abrupt interference of the horse will not allow him to stay relaxed thus the rhythm will be disturbed and the muscles will not perform correctly negating the effects of your work. Only a relaxed horse can learn!

Another very valuable exercise on the lunge is decreasing and increasing the size or the circle. Also referred to as Spiral In and Out. This exercise should first be executed at the walk. The most valuable work in this exercise may be gleaned at the trot. The exercise is not as valuable and may even be harmful if not performed with great precision at the canter. Begin the exercise by encouraging your horse to slowly decrease the size of the 20-meter lunge circle. This should be done at the rate of 2 to 3 meters per round. Continue this slow decrease until the horse is on a 10-to12 meter circle. The size of the smallest circle required will depend on your horses’ suppleness. Only decrease the size of circle such that the horse can maintain the quality of his gait. When the rhythm of the gait falters the size of the circle is too small for the horse to perform correctly. The horse will no longer be traveling on a correctly bent line. It may be beneficial in the early stages of performing the exercise in trot to have your horse make a transition to walk for the rounds on the smallest circles. When the horse has come to the smallest circle he can perform with ease slowly increase the size of the circle. Again at the rate of 2 to 3 meters per round. As you increase the size of the circle encourage the horse to move away from you remaining as parallel as possible to the circle line, or even with his haunches leading slightly. Watch the horses’ hind legs as he proceeds out to the larger circle. What you would like to see is that the horses’ inside hind leg is crossing over and in front of his outside hind leg, in a leg yielding fashion. Once he has reached the 20-meter circle line again make a transition to the next gait, if in the walk, trot, if in the trot, transition to canter. When the horse performs trot to canter transitions he must change the angle of his pelvis this improves suppleness the horse’s loin. Let the horse make 2 to 3 rounds at the increased gait and then ask for the down transition and repeat the exercise. On the second execution of the exercise the progression should become somewhat easier for the horse. Working on bent lines and yielding out to increase the circle size are both very suppling exercises as are the transitions preformed.

These are of course only a couple of the many exercises that will encourage the overall correct development of your horse and it encourages him to use his body as efficiently as possible. As you progress in your lunge work the important aspects to remember are number one, TTT-things take time, and number two become familiar with The Scale of Training and follow it religiously. Best of luck in accomplishing your lungeing goals!

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