{"id":616,"date":"2021-01-21T15:15:27","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T15:15:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/?p=616"},"modified":"2021-01-21T15:15:27","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T15:15:27","slug":"how-to-lunge-a-horse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/how-to-lunge-a-horse\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Lunge a Horse for the First time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lunging a horse is probably one of the most common and basic groundwork exercises. If you just got your horse, it represents a simple way to bond and to allow your horse to blow off some steam. While it might look simple and easy to do, it actually requires a bit of finesse to get right. I’ll walk you through the proper steps in a moment.<\/p>\n
What is lunging? Lunging a horse has it move around in a circular pattern around you. The exercise is performed using a lunge line, and the longer the line, the larger the circle and the farther away the horse will be from you. There are many reasons why you would want to lunge a horse. These include burning off some extra energy, detecting lameness, and laying the foundations for further training.<\/strong><\/p>\n Lunging a horse properly, especially for the first time, requires you to follow a specific set of steps. These steps were designed to ease the horse into the exercise, and raise the intensity as desired before toning things down towards the end. Let’s start off with the first step:<\/p>\n The equipment list for horse lunging is relatively short and simple. You will need a lunge headcollar<\/strong> or cavesson for your horse. If you find the cavesson to be too rigid or difficult to work with, you can always go for a headcollar. Keep in mind that you don’t need<\/em> a cavesson to lunge your horse, but some horses have been trained to lunge with one so it makes things easier for everybody.<\/p>\n You’ll also need a lunge line<\/strong> that’s about 30 feet long. While you can use a rope, I usually prefer to go with a flat webbing line simply because it’s much lighter and more comfortable for prolonged lunging sessions. Make sure to get a lunge whip<\/strong> as well as some wraps<\/strong> to protect the horse’s legs and hoofs.<\/p>\n For yourself, consider investing in some grippy boots<\/strong> that prevent sliding, as well as a quality pair of gloves<\/strong> to prevent rope burn. A good helmet<\/strong> is also recommended in most cases.<\/p>\n As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, lunging is a great way to allow your horse to blow off some steam or get rid of some built-up energy. If someone is new to horse training (perhaps a student), lunging allows him or her to keep track of their positioning and improve their posture while working with a horse.<\/p>\nHow to lunge a horse properly?<\/h3>\n
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What equipment do you need to lunge your horse?<\/h3>\n
What are the main advantages of lunging a horse?<\/h3>\n