From: Sarah
Hi Jessica! Love the list, helps a ton!
My Problem is this: I am currently leasing (maybe buying soon) a 10 year old Thoroughbred gelding, who used to race. He knows how to lunge, but whenever i try him to this particular side(his right side) he will stop and start backing up. Heere is an example: I lunge Jack to his left, he behaves perfectly and willing, then i change sides to work him on his right side. He wont move out in a circle. I have tried my dad leading him in a circle, and to get him trotting, and he will, untill my dad lets go then Jack stops and i am no longer behind him as I was when I was lungin him. I try to come near him and he backs up. I have tried tons of things to get him to go on his right side, but no can do. My fridn suggests that when he used to race, he was lunged on only 1 side and he was never used to go the otehr way, so he is confused as to whatI want him to do. Please help! Are thier any other things i should do when lunging besides standing begind him (in his range of sight, just farther back)? It also appears that he is afrais of the whip, as sonone had abused him with one before, but i need a whip to keep him in a circle and to get him going (by slapping it on the ground). Please help!
Sarah + Jack
Your friend is right about Jack -- in the USA, racehorses run around the track counterclockwise (that's to the left!) as well as being handled from the left. Jack's longeing problem is simple -- he has no idea what you want! Most horses need to be taught everything twice, once from each side.
What you really need right now is help from someone who can teach you how to longe, using a horse that already knows how, and teach Jack how to be longed, and then put you and Jack together and teach you together.
Don't stand behind him -- try to keep yourself positioned so that Jack's body is one side of a triangle, and the longe-line and your arm are one side, and the longe-whip and your other arm are the other side. You should position yourself just across from where your leg would be if you were RIDING Jack -- just behind his elbow.
The whip is just an extension of your arm, and you shouldn't use it to hit him, or to make noises, or to wave, or to slap on the ground behind him. All the whip does is make your arm longer, so that when you point at his hind heel, the whip points there too. If he is nervous or thinks you are chasing him with the whip, he will either run away or whip around to FACE the whip -- neither action will help you, or him. ;-)
Your position is important for Jack's training, and also for your own safety. You never want to stand behind a horse anyway, and you most particularly do NOT want to be waving a whip and standing behind a horse that's frightened of whips.
Wear your helmet when you longe. A frightened horse can kick, and you don't want to take any extra chances.
Wear gloves -- a longeline can take skin off your fingers if a frightened horse runs off.
Be careful to FOLD the part of the longeline that you hold -- don't loop it, or wrap it around your hand. Hold the folds, so that you can drop them if you need to.
Use clear verbal signals -- Jack can learn to LISTEN to you, and understand "Walk" and "Trot" and "Whoa" and "Stand." If you teach him to understand these when he's moving to the left, it will be easier to teach him to longe to the right.
USE a proper longeing cavesson -- don't try to longe from the bit, especially with an ex-race horse. Longeing from the bit is ALWAYS a bad idea, and it's an even worse idea when you're trying to re-train a horse off the track. If he's going to the left and you pull on the line, it pulls the bit in his mouth and he thinks he's supposed to run faster -- that's how racehorses are trained! If he's going to the right and he feels pressure in his mouth, he'll think you want him to turn around, or stop, or both.
Remember that work on a circle is very stressful, and too much of it, or work on too small a circle, can damage a horse's legs. Keep the longeing sessions brief -- 10 or 15 minutes every other day, perhaps -- and slow -- walk, trot, and halt, no cantering. And keep the circle as large as possible -- at LEAST 20 meters (roughly 66 feet) across. If your longe line is too short, you won't be able to do this -- it should be at least 35' long.
The best thing you can possibly do for Jack's education, and for yourse, is to get some professional help from someone who really knows how to longe -- preferably a qualified dressage instructor. Even a few sessions will make an enormous difference. The next best thing you can do is to find yourself a copy of the United States Pony Clubs Manual of Horsemanship, by Susan Harris. Buy the first volume -- you'll learn a lot about what to do, and when, and why. Start with Volume 1 and work your way through it, then go on to Volume 2. Don't try to begin with the second or third volume -- you need to learn and absorb the information in that first one before you move on!
Jessica
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