This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (jean gayle) I also find lungeing a bore and a test of coordination, but as I do not have a round pen it is the preferred way of sensing the personality of the day here. when I first got Howdie, my lovely gelding, I lunged him and he would act like, "what is this?????" No sign he had ever been lunged before. But a crack of the lunge whip brought back his memory in a hurry!!!! Smart boy. He never took his right lead well at the canter except on the lunge or free in the field. A matter of balance no doubt. Later I never lunged him as he was so predictable and had never offered to unseat me after the early shys. But O never rode my big Trakehner or would I ride my holsteiner with out a lunge. I think they are accustomed to "getting it out of their system" on the line before riding. Takes the edge off. Jean in Wash where we are enjoying the sun and no snow.
>This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Jean, > >I do both. First, we trained him to round pen with no lunge line, to move off >the whip being raised, voice commands, reading our body language to whoa and >reverse, then we put him in the round pen with a lunge line. He does not like >the smaller circle he has to do, has trouble tilting his nose a little toward >center, and has tested us a miriad of times by pulling away on the lunge line. >He is still learning to lope off the lunge line but has difficulty either >because he is forced to hold his head straight and a little to center or >because of the smaller circle, I'm not sure. I think he thinks lungeing is >boring which it is but I wanted him to learn it so when I go to shows, I can >lunge him in the big arena while my daughter is warming up for her classes. I >feel it's safer to always round pen or lunge first before riding or driving to >get the excess energy out but after he has pulled my back out of whack a >couple times taking off away from me, I usually go back to free lunging in the >round pen -- the easier way for me. How do you feel about Fjords and round >pens, longeing, etc.?? How about everyone else out there????? > >Susan from icy Minnesota where the water is freezing faster than I like! > Jean Gayle --- A Subscriber at Techline
