Everything Horse magazine Everything Horse UK Magazine, November 2014 | Page 26

WELCOME TO NOVEMBER’S MAGAZINE

Top tips for lunging

from ex-racehorse trainer Victoria Bax

1. Always ensure you have the correct

Around in Circles
With time and daylight limited, schooling
your horse during the winter months can
be a challenge, but lunging your horse
can be a great alternative to schooling
under saddle.
Courtesy of Golly Galoshes, the clever
equine gaiter, top eventer and exracehorse trainer Victoria Bax gives
readers her top tips for getting the most
out of your lunging…
“Lunging is a technique that is invaluable
in the training of the horse and even
more so during the retraining of ex26

My
essential
top lunging
tips are:

Image right: Ensure
you give clear
instructions to the
horse

racehorses.  I use lunging and long reining
extensively when I welcome a new exracehorse into my yard for retraining.
Lunging is a fantastic technique used
for training, retraining or exercising the
horse from the ground. It is especially
useful whilst retraining ex-racehorses
who are exceptionally weak in their
backs, having not been required to
build these muscles in their previous
careers.  It allows these weak muscles to
build up correctly without having to take
the weight of a saddle, let alone a rider
at the same time. It also helps you watch

the horse from the ground to see how he
or she is moving”
It is important the horse is lunged and
encouraged to work in the correct
way of going otherwise the necessary
muscle will not be used and therefore
not become stronger.  I use an EquiAmi training aid to help with this.  It
encourages the horse to build up the
correct muscles during work, helps the
horse to track up and work with a soft
swinging back, therefore developing good
muscle profile, outline and engagement.

Everything Horse UK Magazine • Issue 14 • November 2014

equipment for both horse and rider i.e.
protective hat and gloves and for the horse
a correctly fitting bridle and/or cavesson,
roller, training aid and lunge line all in good
working order.

2. It is a good idea to have practised
holding all the equipment prior to lunging
as trying to hold a lunge line in two hands
and a lunge whip and stay in the correct
position, whilst giving direction to the
horse is no easy task! It takes time and
practise to become accomplished at this.
3. Ensure the horse moves away from

you when you are starting off, rather than
them following you as you step backwards
away from them as here you run the risk of
tripping over backwards or worse still

getting caught up in the lunge line.

4.  Position yourself in the middle of your

lunging area and ensure you hold and
maintain the correct stance to produce
effective lunging.  Form a triangle from
the head of the horse along the lunge line
to yourself, from yourself along the lunge
whip to the rear end of the horse and from
the rear end of the horse back to the head
of the horse.  This will provide a safety
zone between you and the horse, so that
neither one gets too close to the other to
cause injury.

5.  Ensure that you give clear and direct

instructions to your horse, using your voice

November 2014 • Issue 14 • Everything Horse UK Magazine

in a quick upbeat tone for upwards
transitions and a slower, longer and more
deeper tone for downwards transitions.

6.  Always ensure that the horse is
working properly forward throughout
his/her work.  If he/she is not then the
purpose and effect of lunging is greatly
reduced and you will not see muscle
develop.
7. Start with a walk and a trot on either
rein on a fair sized circle.  Following this
I would suggest you activate the hind leg
a little more by adjusting your choice of
training aid in order to ask the horse to
start to work a little harder to develop
27