Chapter 3: Lunge Work with Rider and Horse

Lunging the Rider

The lunging tradition

Lunging the rider has been a time-honored tradition for many of the equestrian disciplines. The Spanish Riding School, in Vienna, lunges all the young riders aspiring to enter the School. The lunging can take up to four years, or as long as it takes to produce a rider who is relaxed, confident, balanced and effective. Many Riding Academy’s and professional training barns in Europe and the USA also use work on the lunge to assist the rider to a better-balanced seat and for improved application of the aids.

It is best to start with a experienced horse on the lunge. You require a horse that will not run off in fright and has a good strong back that can take your early bouncing! This is where a suitable trainer proves indispensable for the beginning dressage rider. If your horse is not suitable the trainer may have, or know of, a safe lunge horse for you to learn on. There is nothing like work on the lunge, on a regular basis, to improve your seat and position. Not to mention your comfort level and confidence! Remember the earlier discussion about mental resolution to achieve your riding goals. At the beginning you may want to give up and forget about your earlier ambitions and desires as to riding dressage. Without your mental strength you will give up and never realize the many delights and immense emotional satisfaction that developing a correct and confident position will give you. Hang in there!

Trust your trainer

You need trust in your trainer, a good lunge horse and also you should read as much as you can on the subject of lunging the horse and rider. Look in books or articles in the dressage magazines about the subject of lunging the horse and rider. Borrow suitable videos from your friends or video libraries. Then - jump in at the deep end. The rewards are great! Enjoy.

To get started you require, (as mentioned previously) a suitable horse, a saddle that fits both the horse and your seat size. We will deal with the training of the horse on the lunge in a different section. The horse should be wearing a snaffle bridle, with the side reins attached to the snaffle bit and the saddle, adjusted at a comfortable length for the conformation of the horse. The trainer will show you how to sit in the correct position at the halt. It is always easier at the halt! Then it becomes easier to sit correctly at the walk. After that it all becomes more difficult and requires your persistence to keep working at it and develop a “cool” seat, the envy of others.

The addition of a bucking strap attached to your saddle may prove useful to improve your balance and seat-security. The trainer will use his or her judgment to determine if you will be allowed the reins and/or stirrups. To start with most trainers will let you hold the reins very loosely. Once you have developed more confidence in the horse then they may take away the rein control. After you have progressed to achieve a certain balance and confidence level, then the trainer may take the stirrups away as well. The entire process will take a year or even more but you will end up with a comfortable seat and a pleasing level of control over your own body. If it is possible, during this period of regular lunging, you may enlist in a yoga class at your local gym or community center. This will be of great help both physically and mentally. The fact that you are receiving regular lunging lessons does not preclude you still riding your horse. A great idea is to ride out in a field or forest and practice the work you have endured on the lunge line. Ride forward on straight and curved lines in the walk, trot and canter. A little gallop is always fun for both horse and rider. Learn to use your body not the reins to execute the transitions. One of the big benefits of lunging is that you learn just how powerful your body is without resorting to pulling at the reins.

The walk

The walk is a regular four beat gait and is relatively easy to ride (sit). Your trainer will make sure that you get lots of walking practice during your lunge sessions. The rider will to be able to feel the four beat rhythm of the walk with the seat and soon will be able to relax the pelvis and swing along in harmony with the horse. This is a wonderful feeling. Enjoy! After you feel at home at the walk the trainer will teach you certain gymnastic movements to do at the walk, which will improve your position and help you to relax at the walk. Some of these exercises include: For the upper body. Arms swinging like a windmill. Start with one arm only and rotate the arm in a counter-clockwise manner.

It is important to keep the arm straight with wrist and fingers outstretched. Body control is the name of the game. In addition you need to keep the rotation at the rhythm of the walk, this helps your brain and seat to communicate. As if this is not enough you must remember to keep the opposite shoulder blade fixed. You will find that when you do the windmill with one arm that the opposite shoulder blade will want to oscillate also! This comes back to body control again. Fix that opposite shoulder blade so it remains quiet and relaxed. This is one of your very first exercises about body control. Our appendages (and we have four of them) should remain quite and still, even when we move one of them the other three should stay in place. When one appendage moves, it is no reason for the others to move in sympathy. This windmill exercise can be done first with one arm at a time and as you get more advanced and comfortable can be done with both arms simultaneously. Another good exercise is to place the palm of your hand under your seat. This gives a great feel for the seat bones and how the seat remains the deepest point. Then you can change hands and finally place both hands under the seat. This gives a really neat feeling of a deep seat. Then the hands can be placed, individually at first, and later in pairs, at the small of the back. The thumb is placed along the small of the back to give a good feel for the relaxation and movement of the lower back muscles. Then the hands can be placed parallel to the shoulders and kept at that position until they feel tired and then you can let them relax and just hang naturally. Another good exercise is to place the hands straight above the head, fingers outstretched. Hold them there until you feel tired and then let the shoulders relax and the arms hang down naturally again. These are wonderful relaxing and suppling exercises. I like the exercise where you do knitting with both hands. Starting at the pommel of the saddle and gradually working your way up toward and above your shoulders. Continue this knitting exercise, until you have reached full extension. Then unwind and knit downwards until you arrive at the pommel again. Another neat co-ordination exercise is to clap the hands together above the head and then clap with the hands straight out in front of the body. Do this several times and you can feel the shoulders relax!

For the lower body there are just as many good exercises. Take the feet out of the stirrups and one at a time exercise the ankles. Rotate them in a circular fashion for at least ten rotations. This is a great exercise to achieve suppleness of the ankles. Then, still with the feet out of the stirrups, move the lower leg from the knee down in a forward kicking motion to the maximum and then kick backwards to the maximum (make sure that you kick backwards with your legs wide so as not to accidentally kick the horse. He will not appreciate this mistake!). This exercise will give you greater flexibility and relaxation of the lower leg and thigh. Then, one leg at a time, lift the leg upwards with the knee bent and them kick it down-wards again. Try to keep the toe up and parallel and heel down. Do this exercise at least ten times on each leg. Next exercise. From the hips open the leg away from the saddle. Hips to heel the leg is away from the saddle. Then relax again. Do this with both legs. This exercise gives a good feeling for how the horse reacts to you opening the leg. You must be able to relax and open and close the leg, thigh and seat. There are other more exotic exercises of twisting and clicking heels above the saddle, rotating in the saddle. However, I do not recommend these unless you are young, fit and gymnastic.

The trot

This is a movement where the diagonal pairs of the horse’s legs, move together to produce the trot. Start with the near foreleg and off hind leg moving simultaneously to get the first beat. Then the second beat will be the off fore leg and near hind leg. You need this knowledge to organize your posting (or rising) at the trot. For rising trot the rider needs to rise on one beat and to sit on the other. Just let the horse throw you upwards , do not try to rise unnecessarily high out of the saddle. For various good reasons it is conventional wisdom to always ride on the outside diagonal in most circumstances. To do this you can look down to the off side shoulder of the horse and can see when that shoulder rises. At that exact moment the off fore leg and near hind leg are raised. Try to rise when the horse’s near shoulder comes up. Then you are securely on the outside diagonal! It will take some practice but soon you will be able to “feel” with your seat and easily pick up the correct diagonal all the times.

Once you have become fluent in the posting trot and have mastered the diagonals, your trainer will direct you to the sitting trot. The more you learn in dressage the more you will realize the significance of the rising trot. It is such a useful tool in many movements. Rising at the trot allows the horse more back freedom to begin such movements as lengthening, leg yielding and even to encourage a forward moving working trot. The sitting trot seems at first to be a daunting task. The horse is happily trotting in a diagonal two beat-rhythm and the trainer requires you to sit this movement! Seems impossible! It is always best to start a little at a time. Sit for a few strides and rise for few strides while on the lunge.

When you sit you can hold the pommel or a martingale or (I like) a “bucking” strap. The advantage of a bucking strap is that it is always there to give you support and if the worst happens and the horse spooks, then the good old “bucking” strap will assist you to stay on. Gradually you will feel more confident and relaxed and will be able to sit for longer periods. Once this is accomplished you can begin the same exercises that you began at the walk. First with one hand only, and later once you have developed more supple hips and deeper seat, with both hands. Remember to also practice keeping the hands, with the thumbs up and little fingers talking to each other, in the regular riding position just in front of the pommel and just above the withers. Later this will be the regular riding position for the hands. This goal of accomplishing a secure position at the sitting trot, may take many months. Do not despair!Every successful dressage rider does not die but progresses through this difficult period. Be consoled that many good and experienced dressage riders go back to riding on the lunge to improve their seat and co-ordination. Riding on the lunge is an on going experience for all riders

The canter

The canter is a so called a rolling gait in three beat rhythm. The foot-falls are as follows for a left lead canter: left hind, then off hind leg and near fore leg move together and then the leading leg. This is followed by a moment of suspension where all legs are for an instant off the ground.

The canter is relatively easy gait for the rider to sit. Relaxation and a supple pelvis allow you to sit the movement. It is important to keep the upper body quiet. It is so easy to rock the upper body in the canter and move it forward and back for each canter beat. This disturbs the balance of the horse in canter. Keep the upper body still at all costs. It makes it so much simpler for the horse to keep the balance if your upper body remains quiet. Some riders have a tendency to lean inwards with the upper body. The seat, lower back and abdomen remain relaxed and absorb the three beat-canter rhythm. The rider’s legs hang down and relaxed with the lower leg caressing the horse’s side with the heel down and toes talking to each other.

The same exercises that you have become familiar with in the walk and trot can also be used for the canter. These exercises will keep the body supple and relaxed in the canter. The final result of many months on the lunge is a confident and happy rider.The gaits do not disturb your balance or your horse’s balance. You are then free to concentrate on other aspects of dressage such as the aids and your position while performing movements while not on the lunge.

Music while lunging

Strange as it may seem, riding on the lunge to music has many wonderful benefits. If you have a boom box or CD player, put in the batteries or plug the boom box into a long electrical extension cord, turn up the volume. Let the music begin!

First try only music that you really enjoy. The music will help you to relax and allow your body to become aware that marching music suits the walk rhythm and bright music containing two clear beat music will enhance your trot work. At this stage you will feel the music that is right for your horse’s natural rhythm. Some horses gaits are quicker than others. Music is a great tool to hear through the ears and to feel through the seat, the clear beat of your horse’s gaits. Some music will be more suitable than others for your horse.

By the time you have worked all this out and decided which music is suitable for your horse, your riding will have improved, your musical knowledge will be expanded and you could well be on the way to thinking about performing a musical freestyle in the future. Enjoy!

Trotting poles and cavalletti

These useful additions to the lunging routine provide a useful exercise for all riders. We will discuss this further in the training of the horse. For rider development it is another medium to acquire suppleness and balance while the horse is performing a different task. the horse’s stride will give you a feeling of following the horse’s movement while he lifts up the diagonal pairs of legs rhythmically over the cavalletti. The trot now has more “air” under it with a great feeling of suspension. This feeling will help you later on to improve your horse’s trot.

All the regular exercises previously mentioned are able be done while trotting over the cavalletti or just trotting over poles on the ground. Do not attempt anything that your body is not comfortable with. Canter cavalletti are another tool to improve the rider’s balance while riding at a faster pace. The cavalletti are placed 3‘ apart and about 1’6” to 2’ high. Usually three or four cavalletti are placed in a straight or circular line. The horse canters on and jumps the cavalletti in a series of bounces. Thus he takes off, lands and immediately takes off again. The rider needs to adopt a two-point seat and maintain the balance while the horse bounces over the small jumps. Cavalletti work can help the rider’s balance and feel for movement of the horse and is an excellent exercise to assist the rider to obtain a secure seat.

Tips

• Lunging the rider is a time-honored dressage tradition
• Lunging is not easy. Remember mental toughness!
• Trust the trainer and lunge horse
• Then jump in at the deep end!
• Lots of useful walk exercises. Improves confidence and balance
• Get your diagonals at posting trot
• Relaxation helps take the bounce out of sitting trot
• Even experienced dressage riders go back to work on the lunge
• Keep the upper body quiet in the canter
• Do not attempt any exercise that your body is not comfortable with
• Music can help while lunging
• Cavalletti work can help to improve the rider’s balance and feel
• Continue with your own riding while the lunge work progresses

Let’s get started!

Lunging the Horse

The young horse should be around four years of age or older. Assume the horse has been backed nicely and has established a walk, trot and canter while on the lunge. If you are starting a green horse of any age the procedure is the same.

Tack The young horse should be presented in a snaffle bridle. Either remove the reins from the bit or twist the reins over the neck and catch the twist with the throat lash of the bridle. You can also present the horse in a lunging cavesson with the lunging cavesson over the snaffle bridle. As discussed earlier the tradition of lunging goes back a long way. At the Spanish Riding school the young beriter must just hold the whip until he is considered experienced enough to hold the lunge line. Training in all the phases of dressage riding is age old and full of tradition. However, we have found no successful short cuts in the training process.

The horse can have on a saddle and or a lunging roller. The saddle is fitted correctly and the lunging roller is placed over the saddle. I like adding the saddle first as this exposes the horse to the feel of the saddle, without a rider. The lunge line is attached either to the middle ring on the cavesson to through the snaffle bit, over the poll and attached to the opposite snaffle ring. The trainer or you, the owner, have the lunge whip and control of the lunge line.

Training on the lunge

I prefer to start by asking the horse to move the hindquarters away from the whip. This exercise, will help prevent the horse from falling in on the lunge line and in the future will help with the start of in hand work. After the horse moves the hindquarters away from the whip you can allow the horse to move out on the circle. Start with the walk on a 20 meter circle. Encourage the horse to move forward and maintain some tension on the lunge line. You do not want the horse to fall in on the circle or alternatively to lug on the lunge line pulling away from the circle. Just like riding forward on a circle, you wish to maintain a constant connection with the lunge line. Practice walking a circle and then halting to the voice. Soon you will have a confident horse able and willing to halt or walk-on by verbal command. At this stage you can introduce the trot. Practice the trot on from the walk by verbal command. Gently bring the horse from trot to walk by voice command. The horse is amazingly sensitive and responsive to voice command. He is also responsive to the aids, as remember that he can feel even a fly on his side. Keep the horse “hot” and eager to respond to the lightest aid from the rider. After the horse is confident at the walk and trot on the lunge line on a twenty meter circle it is time to introduce the canter. At first he horse may try to run at the canter but if you can keep him on the 20 meter circle he will soon settle down to a relaxed forward canter. Most problems at the canter occur because the horse tries to fall into the circle and looses the balance and bend. . Once the horse is confident at the basic gaits on the twenty meter circle then you can attach either side reins or a “neck stretcher”. The side reins can be attached to the lower rings on the lunging roller or saddle. A German neck-stretcher is attached to the poll of the horse through the bit and is connected with the girth or the lunging roller. Either way your aim is to allow and encourage the horse to stretch the neck downward and forwards as well to encourage the back of the horse to swing. You are looking for a wonderful, relaxed and round outline, with the horse stretching down and forwards to the bridle or lunging cavesson. In this frame the horse will develop the correct muscles for future dressage work. Continue the work at walk, trot and canter, including many transitions between and with-in the gaits.

At this stage you can develop a little lengthening by allowing the horse to move down the long side of the arena. Encourage the horse to slightly lengthen the stride on the straight and then bring the horse back to the twenty meter circle. Repetition of this exercise will develop a longer stride in the working gaits verging on a lengthening. This is all you require at this stage.

Remember not to make these lunge lessons too long. To start with 15-20 minutes is enough. Once the horse is balanced and stronger then the lessons can run to 30-40 minutes. I do not encourage too small a circle until the horse is older, over five years, and more experienced at negotiating correct and balanced 15 and 10 meter circles. Then the circles can be made smaller and the side reins raised to higher rungs on the lunging roller. This adjustment is OK as the horse is in balance and confident at the working gaits. Also he has been worked at least weekly on the lunge line for over a year.

Again back to Franz Maringer who always recommended that the horse be allowed to play first on the lunge line without and restriction. Also remember to reward the horse for responding willingly to your voice commands. Lunging should be fun for the horse. Never boring! To aid the training and to add interest for the horse you can introduce poles on the ground and then trotting 9” cavalletti, spaced around 5-6’apart, adjusted to the natural length of your horse’s stride.

Franz Maringer always said: “Do you want an eventer or a dressage horse?” If dressage is your game then you gradually make the cavalletti closer together to gain more suspension in the trot. As the horse becomes more skilled the cavalletti can be raised a little. Suspension and air time can develop an average mover and add magic to a good mover.

Work at the canter over cavalletti can be worked on the lunge, over time, as the horse gains balance and confidence at the canter. Place the cavalletti at around 12’ apart and canter the horse over them. This helps to develop a supple back, balanced canter and a joy of cantering. This work must be fun and enjoyable for the horse. Later small jumping grids and combinations can be added. This work is beneficial and also lots of fun but is beyond the scope of this book.

Tips

• There are no short cuts to training. This applies more so to lunge work
• Lunging must be fun for the horse
• The horse should not fall in on the 20 meter circle
• The horse should respond promptly to all voice commands
• Cavalletti at trot can improve the suspension at the trot
• This can add magic to the trot of a good mover
• Canter cavalletti can improve the suppleness of the back.