How to Lunge Train Your Horse

the whip in your left.
Hold the line and the whip so that they are the sides of a triangle and you are the apex of the triangle. Your horse will be the base of the triangle. Both of your arms should be bent at the elbow and you should be standing relaxed.
Walk the Horse
Ask your horse to walk. Its important to help your horse understand your voice aids by using the same tone and inflection each time for each cue. Most people use a low drawnout whooooaaaaa for halt and sharp energetic words for walk trot and canter.
Maintain the Circle
As your horse moves off on the circle you will be holding the lunge line up not dragging on the ground. Keep elbows bent and the whip pointed at the horses hocks. Remember to maintain the triangle.
If you move at all keep your circle very small. You may find yourself getting dizzy so dont just spin in one spot.
Upward and Downward Transitions
Your voice aid for upward transitionswalk to trot or canter or trot to cantercan be reinforced by the whip. For some horses it will only take a wave of the whip others may need the lash to be popped. This is done by flicking the whip sharplyyou may need to practice perfecting this before you try lunging.
For downward transitionstrot to walk walk to halt canter to walk or trot to haltmany people lower the tip of the whip to the ground. At no time does the whip ever touch the horse.
Halt the Horse
When you ask your horse to halt it should stay out on the circle and wait for you to approach. Some people like the horse to come to them when called. If you do this gather the lunge line up so it doesnt drag on the ground as the horse approaches.
Halt and Change Direction
Ask your horse to change direction ask it to halt step backward and turn. Then change your whip and line hands and send the horse off in the opposite direction. This will take some practice for you to become coordinated in the movement and your horse to understand what you are asking. Very soon you will not have to ask the horse to halt but be able to change direction in one fluid motion at a walk or trot.
Problems and Proofing Behaviors
Many people lunge their horses to burn off energy and provide exercise. Be careful
that you dont make your horse fitter than you are. That will lead to it taking longer for your horse to level out.
Lunging isnt just about firing around in a circle or simply letting a horse run in circles around you. Doing either of these can lead to poor obedience and injury. The horse should be as obedient on the lunge line as it is when being led. Not only should lunging be physical exercise but mental exercise as well.
Most importantly lunging is not a form of punishment. Punishing a horse is never a good idea and will only lead to a horse that acts out. Instead you want to develop a bond with your horse and get them to trust people. Lunging is a fantastic way to do that.
The faster your horse is going the larger the circle needs to be. You can do this by letting out more line. Lunging on a small circle can be very hard on a horses legs so increase the work gradually for the horse to become supple fit and balanced without strain.