It is definitely hard to make lunging anything but boring. It’s also hard not to be in the way of other people working in the ring. It probably doesn’t help that there is someone else who has a horse coming back into work who is also lunging several times a week, often at the same time as me.
Staring
My general program has been to start in one direction (which I switch up daily) with the fake pessoa fully rigged up but loose for several minutes in each direction, followed by more time with the bit attachment portion undone to let Stampede stretch himself out even further and put his head down. As of Friday the workout is up to 18 minutes at the trot. It has surprised me how willing Stampede is to do this. Getting him to move forward is definitely the harder part of lunging him.
Posing for mom
On Saturday I decided to try lunging Stampede without the rig on at all, just his bridle, since he had started pulling down and gaping his mouth when he was fully rigged up at the beginning of our workout. Other than a spook at the hay truck moving around outside the window, he was great and I didn’t bother to put the rig on today either.
Here’s a video from last weekend of the beast trotting around. Not very exciting, but a good chronicle of our journey into getting him to stretch down.
I’d be interested in opinions from anyone who is good at mechanics on whether he appears to be using himself well. I’ve always watched for back lift with him all rigged up, but that is not how this works. I’ve been sticking to really praising him for keeping his head low and trying to keep a forward momentum since those were the two things the vet wanted.
On another note, my Ice Horse back blanket came on Friday, so I tried it for the first time Saturday.
Fancy icing pony!
As with everything else Ice Horse I have ever tried, the quality of this product is great. It is almost long enough to make the tail strap usable, which is saying something since I have a very long beast. Either way, with the three other straps the packs stayed in place nicely. I’ll try to review this later after some more use.
I’m very excited that this coming week is my last full week of work this year. Woo hoo!
He looks so lovely and relaxed! As for using himself, I’m not an expert so don’t take what I say as doctrine. I would want him to be stepping under himself a bit more than he is now. I think he’s so relaxed through his topline that his hind end isn’t pushing as much as it could be. Just my 2c! Good luck with the lunging
I am thinking it is a Catch22 between relaxation and getting him forward, because I’ve been unable to get both! I have been even making the end of the whip hit his butt a little and he squirts a bit with his head up then back to relaxed and slow. Riding is so much easier than lunging!
Well… he’s not reaching up under himself and using his back/hind end and he’s not going forward. Soooo.
That said, It’s hard to use the whip properly while videoing and I don’t know what you’re rehabbing. Best of luck.
He’s supposed to go long and REALLY low and forward, which seems to be almost impossible!
He doesn’t look like he’s moving forward or pushing with his hind end but that’s kinda hard to achieve on the line in my opinion for some horses. I also don’t know how hard of Trot work he should be in. He seems pretty content and lackadaisical though! 🙂
The vet was happy he was relaxed at least. I was thinking well he’s normally relaxed except when he rides on a trailer for two hours then gets jabbed in the back for a while, lol.
hope the ice pad works out!! and glad he’s settling into the program well! he looks relaxed and happy – definitely a plus! i’d maybe shoot for more activity and push so that he’s not dragging those hind feet
I think I need a second person to chase the lazy boy around!