How to Teach a Horse to Stop When Using the Lunge Line
The lunge line, when used correctly, can serve as a powerful training tool for working with horses. When lunging, a trainer stands at one end of a long line, with the horse at the other end. The horse works around the trainer in a circle. The main means of communicating with the horse involve voice commands, body language, the lunge line and the lunge whip, with little physical contact between horse and trainer. Teaching a horse to stop on the lunge line takes practice and patience to avoid confusion or evasion on the part of the horse.
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Things You'll Need
- Halter and lead rope
- Cotton lunge line
- Lunging cavesson or a halter
- Lunge whip
- Gloves
- Experienced helper (optional)
Instructions
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Put a halter and lead line on your horse and practice stopping on voice command on the lead. Begin walking your horse on the lead line and then simultaneously stop your body, apply gentle pressure with the lead rope and say "whoa" in a slow, deep and calm voice. Release the pressure and praise your horse as soon as it stops.
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Repeat the "whoa" exercise on the lead line until your horse halts with just the voice command, without any pressure from the lead rope. Practice the exercise while leading your horse on both sides.
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Hold the lead line and face the horse in the position you will use when lunging. Stand facing the horse's girth area, with your leading hand extended softly toward the horse's nose. Ask your horse to move forward at the walk. You walk with your horse in about a 20-foot circle.
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After a couple of walk circles, give the "whoa" voice command and lower your energy. If the horse does not respond, apply pressure with the lead line. When the horse halts, release the pressure and praise the horse.
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Continue practicing halts on the lead line until the horse consistently stops at your vocal request, without any pressure on the lead rope. When you think your horse is ready, switch to the lunge line. Keep the distance from you to your horse short at first. Slowly let out more lunge line in small increments, while you repeat the halt exercise several times. However, do not allow for very much slack in the line.
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Interchange work on lunge-line halts with other exercises to keep your horse interested. Practicing walk-halt transitions can quickly become boring and repetitive to a horse, so include a variety of work in your training sessions. Obviously, do not send your horse out on the lunge line at faster gaits until it has learned to stop on command, but do work in other ground exercises.
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Tips & Warnings
You can ask an experienced horse handler to help you transition to the lunge line by holding a lead line on the outside of the horse. Your helper can backup your halt command with the lead line.
Never wrap the lunge line around your hand in a small loop or allow it to dangle on the ground where your foot could become entangled.
Wear gloves when lunging a horse to protect your hands from rope burn.
Do not clip a lunge line directly onto a bit. You could pull the bit through your horse's mouth.
Do not lunge your horse on small circles for a long time to avoid injuring its joints. Keep lunging sessions around 30 minutes or less and change direction frequently.
References
- Photo Credit horse image by milemarsovac from Fotolia.com
