How to get my horse into a canter on the lunge?
Kristin asked:
My horse is a 12 year old arab cross. He trots and walks on the lunge beautifully but it takes alot for him to get him to canter. He doesn’t respond to the lunge whip very well, just seems to ignore it. Any ideas?
Powered by Yahoo Answers
My horse is a 12 year old arab cross. He trots and walks on the lunge beautifully but it takes alot for him to get him to canter. He doesn’t respond to the lunge whip very well, just seems to ignore it. Any ideas?
Powered by Yahoo Answers
Comments
7 Responses to “How to get my horse into a canter on the lunge?”
Powered by Yahoo Answers
First I’d probably make sure there’s nothing physically wrong with the horse. But if this is just laziness/dullness, then I would try getting him to listen to you a bit more on the lunge by asking for a lot of transitions between walk and trot. If you ask for walk for a few strides, then trot for a few strides, this usually wakes the horse up and gets them listening to you a bit better.
Once you get to the point where he will trot forward energetically from walk as soon as you ask, then try asking him to canter soon afterwards while he is still thinking forward in a nice energetic trot.
If he canters easily when you ride him, then try using your voice when you ask for canter so that he starts to associate the voice command with cantering, and then try it on the lunge once you think he clearly understands it.
I’d also check that the size of your circle isn’t making things difficult. If the horse is on a small circle it is difficult for him to canter, and if he’s on a large circle it’s easy for him to ignore the whip.
Good luck!
Powered by Yahoo Answers
You may have to be a bit firmer with the lunge whip, a definate flick to the inside hind leg, as you ask for canter.
He may find working on a small circle difficult so try taking him off the circle and lunging a straight line, then back to a full/half circle, then a straight line. Once you have the hang of this in trot and walk try asking for a canter transition as you come out of the circle onto a straight line - yes you will have to run! Having a straight, open space ahead is often enough to get up a canter and once he can do this you can go back to purely circling.
Do remember that lunging is very hard work for any horse so don’t do too much to begin with.
Powered by Yahoo Answers
I had the same prob. Just do alot of trot, walk, and halt changes. This will get him more interested. Also, check theres nothing physically wrong. But its proboably just laziness/ dullness.
Powered by Yahoo Answers
Make sure you’re using a big enough diameter to your circle to allow him to canter (a small circle makes it very difficult for a horse).
You can swat him with the lunge whip to get a response. If you think that’s too “cruel”, try swatting your leg with it….it stings, right, for about one second and makes an instinctive reflex feeling inside you to shrink away from it. Thus, the purpose of the whip. It isn’t to injure the horse or traumatize it, but it is used to cause the horse to instinctively move away from it. If used correctly, it will get the result you want.
So many people misunderstand the use of a whip and think a good swat with it constitutes beating and abuse. Not so. Like I said, try it on yourself, to see how severe a swat you should do with it. You want a good sting, so the horse knows what it’s for. It won’t injure or scare the horse, simply produce that instinctive reflex that says “move on outta here!” and the horse should canter for you nicely.
Good luck!
Powered by Yahoo Answers
I wouldn’t hit your horse with your lunging whip believe me you are opening the barriers for MANY more behavioural problems, try “cracking” the whip and see how he reacts. Also as above i would open them out onto a wider circle and do lots and lots of transitions. Maybe you could try some loose schooling? do you do that in the states?
Either or i wouldn’t tap your horse with the whip unless you want a bucking fit and a dangerous situation.
Powered by Yahoo Answers
A horse that is 12 yrs. should have no reason to need to be on a line for any reason.
Powered by Yahoo Answers
I have a horse also and he did this also. I found out he was just being lazy. I got a lunge whip and now he does everything. I usually don’t have to use it that often. I jsut kiss to canter and “cluck” ( i don’t know a better word for it) and he will trot. When I say whoa he will face directly toward me and walk to me. He is only 3 years old and we didn’t get him a professional trainer. I tought him. If you want your horse to turn towards you and walk to you, put him on the lead rope or lunge line and when you say whoa, pull the rope to make him/her face you. That is the best advice I can give you if he does not respond to the whip.
Just make sure he is up to date on worming and shots and other medical things.