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School's out. Time to lunge the children

On days where I don't particularly have time to ride the horses, I'll take them over to my neighbor's round pen and lunge them for about twenty minutes.  What is lunging you ask?  It is more than just letting the horses loose and running them in circles.

Lunging is a great way to build fitness for your horse.  It can improve your horse's movement, balance and flexibility.  It also teaches a horse a lot of basics.  It teaches her to move forward at the trainer's will and to change gaits at the trainers command.  There are good lessons in obedience from lunging.  It is great exercise and develops muscles, lungs and heart.

Ebony and Kachina being lunged in the round pen.

It has been fun to do a lot of ground work with my horses and to witness their recognition of verbal queues.  I typically get them started with a click of the tongue.  To increase their gait, I'll say, "pick it up" and they'll move out from a walk to a trot to a canter and then a gallop with each request.  I'll generally move them in one direction and when I want them to go the other direction, I'll motion towards them saying, "turn".  They will spin and immediately resume their gait going the opposite direction.  When it is time to stop, I'll lower my hand and say "whoah".

This is also a great way for me to know if the horse's attention is on me and is in the proper mind set to go for a ride.  Once I stop them, they generally turn in to face me.  This shows respect.  If the horse turns out, it is a sign of disrespect and I'll spend more time working with them until the proper respect is shown.

The other reason I lunge them?  To wear them down so completely that I'm not afraid to get on their backs......

Ebony is a Tennessee Walker.  Her gait is very smooth.  It is fun to ride a gaited horse.  There is very little bounce or movement in the saddle and makes for a very comfortable experience.



























After the work is done, both horses love to clean themselves off by rolling in the sand.  They love the sand just as much as kids do.


The horses love to roll in the sand.  Ebony goes first.  The other thing she could be saying is, "give me a belly rub."

Now that boss horse is done, Kachina takes her turn.

Speaking of children, all of my kids just finished school today.  We're about to begin the long summer vacation.  Hence begins the ongoing cries, "I'm bored.  What can I do?"  I will then promptly walk them over to the round pen and lunge them for 20 minutes.
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