Mary Allen
In relation to horse training, ground work is considered an essential basis – for muscle building, endurance, and last but not least to strengthen the connection between man and horse in a way that would hardly be possible with any other pet. It’s not just about letting the horse run in circles, but rather working with it in a targeted manner. Various aids, exercises and extensions make the training varied. Be it in preparation for a tournament, for a rider’s seat training or in connection with vaulting. The possible uses are as varied as they are complex. Lunging the horses correctly is a challenge of its own.
Lunging – the basic elements
In principle, you can lunge on both grass and sand. Riding hall and riding arena, however, are usually better. Some stables have even prepared extra lunging areas or “circles” that are fenced off in a circle and thus already set a boundary. Here the horse can also run free if necessary, i.e. without a lunge. For many exercises, such free training is much better, but this depends heavily on personal preferences and the horse itself.
Before you even reach for the lunge, more or less elaborate preparations have to be made depending on the training requirements. The local conditions must also be taken into account, as well as the horse’s state of health, the selection of aids and sometimes even the condition of the person and animal on the day.
The lunging floor
Of course, the floor has a significant influence on the floor work. Running in deep, wet sand requires significantly more muscle power than on level ground, where the joints are less able to spring. Flooded floors where the rain has accumulated are just as unsightly as bone-dry halls in hot summer temperatures. The ideal ground conditions for lunging are therefore professionally prepared sandy surfaces with drainage (water drainage system), mulch or in a hall in which the air and ground are humidified with sprinkler systems if necessary.
Less important, but simply part of good manners, is a clean riding arena without horse droppings from the previous day or the like.
The lunging accessories
Aside from the horse itself, lunging requires additional equipment. Depending on the tasks at hand, the equipment can be quite different. In theory, a cavesson and a longe line are sufficient. This means that at least small warm-up exercises can be carried out without any problems. However, a little more is required for high-quality training:
Bridle: A bit in connection with auxiliary reins creates conditions similar to riding. The horse can chew in a relaxed manner, does not suffer from a possibly unsteady hand and still has contact with the lunge line or the person on it and vice versa. However, the lunge line should not be attached directly to the bit, as it would pull very one-sidedly. The reins, on the other hand, are usually superfluous and are removed or tied up.
Side binders: There are a number of side binders available to strengthen the neck and neck area as well as the back muscles. These feel the pull of the rider and put the horse in the working position. Auxiliary reins, martingale, triangular reins – behind the terms there are entire lunging systems that act on special pull/pressure points.
Saddle: Lunging is mostly done without a saddle. However, to get used to a new saddle, when a rider exercises his seat or for similar demands, the saddle is also used when lunging. Alternatives are chest straps and individual saddle pads. Without a rider in the saddle, however, the stirrups must be tied up or removed completely so that they do not swing painfully against the horse’s stomach.
Gaiters: Special bandages or bell boots are very practical to protect the horse’s legs in the event of and against injuries or in the event of general vulnerability. Gaiters not only protect the leg, they also stabilize it, support the muscles, tendons and ligaments and can therefore be used preventively.
Whip: Unlike the riding crop, the lunge whip has a much longer reach and is not always that easy to use. Especially since she can’t just drag on the floor. While the lunge limits the radius of action in the forward movement, the whip is held behind the horse as a limit at the level of the flanks. In addition, it supports commands for changing direction and speed or to keep the horse’s attention happy from time to time.
In principle, the equipment is aimed at the tasks during the lunging unit. The lunges themselves are available in a wide variety of lengths, as double lunges, short lunges, made of cotton or nylon, and, and, and. From lunging goggles to riding pads, the experienced lunging professional will find a large selection in the specialist shop.
On the other hand, jump bars and other obstacles are deliberately avoided. The risk of injury would be too great in such a narrow field of movement as in the lunge ring. Cavaletti and Co. are part of the basics of floor work, but placed on a sufficiently large area. The lunge ring, also known as the round pen, is usually only 15 to 20 meters in diameter – small but effective.
When is lunging and how?
The exercises are as different as the requirements for the results. Essentially, the state of health of the horse, its individual history and the level of training in general must be taken into account. The exercises and levels of difficulty are based on this – and ultimately the results.
Endurance training
After illness, box rest, during the gestation period or for general preparation, lunging is started slowly at first. Riders often use endurance training on the longe line to give the high-spirited animals a workout after the winter break and to give them the necessary self-control again, but also to reactivate long-rested muscles.
Here, tools are avoided as far as possible. Rather, the focus is on the movement as such. Warm up with a few round strides, raised to a brisk pace, followed by the rest of the gaits. The trot speed is much more effective for endurance training than the canter. But changing from one gait to another also requires strength.
Don’t forget the change of direction. Due to the circular path, the horse always follows
placed inside. To train both hands equally and also to avoid dizziness
Rider to avoid horse is changing direction every few minutes. At the same time, obedience exercises can be incorporated at this point.
Does the horse stop on command? Does it move in the middle to the human and after the
Buckle up the lunge again calmly back in the lunging circle? Some exercises also provide for the change of direction directly from the movement. For this, the horse on the
Circle stopped and should turn around without leaving the track and continue in the other direction.
Both methods are legitimate and should be retrievable. In this way, the couple also practices communication and can increasingly get used to each other. With each additional hour of lunging, the commands become more understandable and eventually become routine.
Especially horses that have had to stay in the stable for a long time enjoy the smooth re-entry
to work. But also for older semesters, the running training on the loose Lunge well.
To increase the difficulty, the trot times should be extended, as well as that step pace. The lunging time itself does not even have to be immeasurable to be driven. 30-45 minutes are usually sufficient. Otherwise, you turn in the literally only in a circle.
For endurance, it is much more important to train frequently and evenly and at the same time
gradually increasing the level of work.
Maintain and practice posture
Exercises for the optimal posture of the horse can also be implemented very well on the longe. Standing inwards, stepping under your feet cleanly, bending your back and neck, learning your sense of balance and generally relaxed walking – all of this can be trained in the lunging circle.
This is where reins and auxiliary reins are used much more often. They imitate the effect of the rider and provide assistance for the movement. Beginners in lunging should first be careful with the straps. If you strap the horse too tight right from the start, you risk tension, stress symptoms and, last but not least, injuries.
Even the sensitive nature of the four-legged friend will quickly lose morals if it is forced to do so. Most straps and belts can therefore be adjusted individually and should be adjusted depending on the level of training, starting with slight degrees of severity.
In particular, young horses that are to be ridden in must be gently accustomed to the new situation. But also those animals that have not had any training for a long time and are therefore no longer fit.
Optimal dressage posture, for example, requires a lot of strength and discipline. Comparable to a yoga class for completely clumsy office workers, every beginning requires overcoming.
A thorough warm-up phase and a relaxed cool-down are all the more important
Atmosphere to which the horse can “come down” again after a performance. In both phases, a strapped posture should be avoided. Ideally, the animal will naturally relax its muscles, lower its head, and keep its nose slightly off the ground to stretch its neck and back.
The belts are only tensioned in the actual work unit. The flex of the body can be improved, for example, by shortened internal straps. Head throwing up can be corrected with auxiliary reins. And much more.
Basically, the side reins connect the saddle to the horse’s mouth with the optional chest strap. This connection is extremely sensitive and must be able to communicate without any thigh pressure or weight effects from the rider.
Since this is now a few meters away on the ground, voice and body language take over the most important communication channels.
Seat firmness for riders
If you prefer to sit it out on horseback, you also have to pay attention to a few things when lunging. The longe leader is always in command and coordinates the horse. The rider takes on more of an accompanying role and can therefore fully concentrate on himself, his seat and the connection to the horse.
Experienced riders, returnees and of course beginners also use lunge training to improve and optimize themselves. Seat training is primarily about whether the legs are in the right position, the heels are low, the hands are steady, the buttocks are working properly and the rider is acting correctly on the horse in a holistic way. Even the smallest discrepancies can lead to misunderstandings in communication with the horse.
On the lunge, however, these can be optimally corrected. The horse calmly walks on while above it is “fidgeting around”. A particular challenge is being lunged without a saddle – in order to control your leg position even more. Anyone who can then manage to sit easily without a saddle knows what the thigh muscles are actually capable of doing.
There are many other advantages to training sitting strength on the lunge. In equestrian sport one already speaks of vaulting at this point. It is about “gymnastics on and on the horse”. While this makes its rounds evenly, the artists perform sporting tasks. Starting with jumping up onto the running horse, headstand, freehand standing, mills and all kinds of more, up to the clean jump. In all of this, those involved must be able to rely unconditionally on the balance of the horse.
The same applies to working with disabled people. In the field of horse therapy, lunging or vaulting has long proven its worth. Riding with your eyes outstretched and your eyes closed is a wonderful way to train your sense of balance, your self-confidence and especially your feeling for yourself and another being.
How the smallest corrections in posture can relieve tension, train deep muscles and solve other unforeseen problems can be experienced in so many different ways while lunging. And each of these problems as well as each solution is transferred to the horse, is balanced in mutual interaction and ideally develops into a harmonious harmony.
The duties of the Longenfuhrer
The horse and possibly the rider have a lot to do when lunging. However, the longe handler himself is not completely left out: he too must constantly concentrate and send out the right signals so that a functional symbiosis arises.
As the focal point of the event, the one in the middle of the circle takes the lead. Wrong commands, bad timing or even just minor carelessness throw the other parties involved upside down. The lunge as such is not the only connection to the horse, not even the most important.
Posture while lunging
Since lunging involves a circle, i.e. a circle, the lunger inevitably stands in the middle. At least he should. Due to the constant turning movement, many find it difficult to actually stay in the middle. Most tend to take steps towards the horse, causing the lunge line to sag and potentially become a tripping hazard. Others unconsciously brace themselves against the pull and thereby pull the horse into the circle where it shouldn’t go.
Finding and holding a fixed point is therefore the first task of the lunger. A marker in the sand will help if necessary. With a little practice, the lunge length and a little sense of direction regulates the coordination all by itself. Depending on the tasks in training, sometimes more, sometimes less freedom of movement is necessary. It may even be necessary to take a step towards the horse in order to direct it back onto the circle.
Furthermore, the lunger holds the lunge in his hand, in the direction of which the horse is moving. The other hand holds the whip at a safe distance behind the horse without touching it. As already mentioned, it primarily serves to limit the horse so that it does not swerve backwards, and to occasionally spur it on. In short lunge – horse – whip – lunger take a triangular position in a circle. This connection matches the tempo one-to-one and moves in parallel. This means that there is always eye contact and the longe leader’s entire body language is directed towards the horse. The smallest deviations, such as taking the whip away from the hindquarters and sitting in front of the horse while turning, prompt you to stop. Laying the movement behind that of the horse is driving. Most people use their body language just right unconsciously, but sometimes it has to be adapted to the individual horse.
Concentrated, relaxed, self-confident – this charisma should convey the posture so that the horse can feel and reflect exactly this. Your hands must be calm and firm, especially since the long lunge line quickly starts to spin. But the same applies to the whip. Nervous fidgeting and gesticulating have no place in the round pen. Anyone who quickly gets upset and becomes loud should avoid this at all costs. Jerky pulling on the lunge line not only causes pain in the horse’s mouth, but also tension in the whole body. In the worst case, strains and dislocations are the result. The lunge has to be calm and neither too tight nor too loose. It is a tool, nothing more and nothing less.
Lunging primarily means “working with the horse”. Analyzing reactions and attitudes, correcting them if necessary and, most importantly, making them a better habit in the long term. Such goals require time and dedication. Beginners will initially miss one or the other sign. Here, too, longe guiding must first be learned.
Just as your own body language and voice affect the horse. In particular, the effect of the voice is very important when lunging. She can calm, drive, praise and much more. After all, clear communication can be worth its weight in gold later when riding. Lunging strengthens the basics and can be called up again and again. Horse and rider are at eye level and can deal with each other very differently.
After lunging is before lunging
Unfortunately, the preparation and follow-up work is often neglected, but no less important. Once the lunge line is wound up incorrectly – or not at all – the next time it is used it will be a shambles, which then first has to be untangled again.
Auxiliary reins and reins are usually made of leather and require appropriate care so that they remain soft and flexible. Likewise saddle, chest straps and possibly even the whip.
And last but not least, the space must be prepared. All the trappings are just as much a part of lunging as the exercises themselves.
Both horse and rider must be adequately prepared. The horse is well equipped and healthy – the rider or lunger with a well-engineered plan. What are the goals of the training? Which time allocation is recommended? And which exercises are effective, but also take individual needs and experiences into account?
As is so often the case: It is better to do the simple tasks correctly than to fail in the face of too great a challenge and even risk making mistakes. After all, lunging should be fun and not just pure work. Variations in the tools, practicing special commands or simply letting off steam bring variety to everyday lunging work.