Lunging masterclass with Michael Eilberg

19m 26secs

Rating:

Posted: 19/11/2010

Click for App to watch on Apple devices

Video Notifications

Alternative Player

Having trouble viewing? Add to Favourites Tell A Friend Share

Library > Training for all disciplines > Groundwork

Mike gives a masterly demonstration of lunging the four year old Rochelle, daughter of Rockstar, in preparation for riding. The aim is to find out about her mood and determine the best time to get on. Mike explains how to read Rochelle's body language and what signs to look for to know if she is showing her true colours. He offers essential safety advice and tips to ensure the horse has a calm and positive experience of lunging. Mike says, "it’s vital to be in charge of the little things, so the horse feels you own 51% of the shares!" He also stresses the need to give lunging your full attention and explains what it teaches you about your horse.

Comments

Monica Lawry 30 Jan 2012 Thank you for this excellent, clear, well-narrated training session! Your remarks about behavior of mares 'holding back' is so accurate. Insights like this and your calm reaction to the freshness she displayed at the noise outside is so helpful to those of us working with young horses. Many thanks and I plan to watch as many of your videos as I can!

Hammer 18 Jan 2011 Mike; I very much enjoyed watching this lunging session and I hope to apply some of your teqniques when lunging my young hannoverian. So thanks for the pointers and good luck with this lovely mare.

Catherine Astrid Iselin 4 Dec 2010 "Lunging in a cavesson is fine but not always necessary, although I would advise that people new or not so experienced with lunging do use one." Thank you for your answer Mike. It is nevertheless interesting to note that the Spanish Riding School do use "cavesson only" when lungeing and one may say .. that they are rather good and experienced! I do lunge rehabilitation horses and very big ones indeed, I would suggest the Wels cavesson is the best and give much feel for a good handler who can lunge while keeping a consistent contact with the horse's head. I trained with Pat Manning to specialise in lungeing the "spoilt horses" and she was a master at "feel" on the lunge line, keeping this feel absolutely smooth (but "there"). Anyway, various views, but still I do not see the need for lunging from the bit, it seems to destroy the very essence of the communication between handler and horse, as the bit is moving (sideways especially) on the mouth soft tissues, while the cavesson very well attached is "fixed" to the bones structure of the horse. I am thinking to open a "Lungeing School" (!) to teach the young riders to "feel" with the line, instead of having it dropping on the ground, be "empty and irregular"! My late trainer in Switzerland told me it would take me longer to learn to lunge a horse with feel (to help them swing in their back without gadgets) than to ride. He was right, and now being rather ... "not so young", I still learn even after decades of lungeing daily difficult or stiff horses to help them to regain movement in their bodies. Sadly too many horses are put into a "frame" with ropes of whatever shape and form to obtain a lowering of the head and neck and this create tension on other parts of the horse's body! Then, the young horses lose their lovely flow of energy and start to tense up, even if this is invisible for many. With the new fashion for horses with round neck and stiff back throughout the dressage community I think my little idea of a lungeing school could take off! Thank you again for answering kindly and good luck with this lovely horse.

TinkerBell 28 Nov 2010 Great video! Sometimes Mike sounds just like his Dad!

Maria Eilberg 21 Nov 2010 Mike here - the make of the breeches is Eurostar. Lunging in a cavesson is fine but not always necessary, although I would advise that people new or not so experienced with lunging do use one. I personally like the variety of positions that I have available with attaching the lunge line to the bridle and can start getting the horse listening to instructions from the bit before I get on. Either way is not wrong or right just personal preference, but if you are worried about it or have a rather wild horse with a sensitive mouth you can't go wrong with a cavesson.

Page 1|2|3

To post a comment you must Register on Horse Hero and Login. Or just login, if you are already registered.
Alternatively you can become a full subscriber.