# Question on lunging behavoir



## backyardFarming (Jun 13, 2013)

My new horse lunges ok on her left side but she has issues lunging to the right. She refuses to cooperate. When lunging to the right on the line she rears up, faces me, then plants her feet on the groung not willing to move. I have tried to to be persistant. But I am upset with myself that she "won". Which i can anticipate our future lunging experience to be the same. I have looked up info on You Tube but I can't find anything that is similar to my situation. Any ideas on how to get her to lunge correctly on her right side without testing me? I need to "win" here so she knows that I am the alpha.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

try really small circles, make sure you are staying behind her to push her forward, you may need to get some serious excersize to get her started, or get a friend to help, one walking up with her leading her that way, as she gets more comfortable she can slowly distance herself from the horse. I have run many circles helping to get a horse started, lots of work but after a couple days they usually get it.


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## Used2bmimi (Oct 3, 2012)

Start by leading her from her off side. Often horses are handled only from their near side because that is how we are all taught to handle them. So the horse has been taught that the human belongs on the left side. Period. Many have a difficult time adapting and feel really uncomfortable seeing us on the wrong side. We have no trouble crossing over but they do. So anyway, handle your horse from the "wrong" side often. Lead her from that side for a while then start circling. I agree to start with small circles pushing her away from you. Understand that it almost certainly is not just her putting up a battle. It is her trying to tell you that you are doing something different (which to her means "wrong" and thus "dangerous") He he he...she is like the dad in The Crudes.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

http://www.equusite.com/articles/ground/groundLungingDifficulties.shtml


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## Jocelnlee (Oct 10, 2013)

All of the above is great advice, I would get a lounge whip, you don't ever have to whip her, but use it as a "gate" to push her away from you, hold it straight out along side her body while standing behind her shoulder, it's true you may have to run is circles yourself while "pushing" her, but one she realizes the pressure she will want to get away from it, and every time she goes even half a step in the right direction, stop and reward her with a scratch. And continue, it might take awhile but don't ever put her away after she has "won". You must win, even if she only makes half a circle, just as long as she has done something you have asked her to do before you let her go.


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

Some horses I find, you have to whip them, if they don't move with a light tapping gesture.


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## georgiagirl98 (Jun 30, 2013)

Sometimes you have to train them for both sides. I've had some like that, on one her eye was just bad on one side so she just couldn't see me to understand what i was asking her to do and would freak out. The others i put them in a round pen and took off the line and just chased them one way then the other then started adding the line and did the same thing. It usually worked.


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## MsScamp (Feb 1, 2010)

backyardFarming said:


> My new horse lunges ok on her left side but she has issues lunging to the right. She refuses to cooperate. When lunging to the right on the line she rears up, faces me, then plants her feet on the groung not willing to move. I have tried to to be persistant. But I am upset with myself that she "won". Which i can anticipate our future lunging experience to be the same. I have looked up info on You Tube but I can't find anything that is similar to my situation. Any ideas on how to get her to lunge correctly on her right side without testing me? I need to "win" here so she knows that I am the alpha.


She may not be "testing" you. She could have a problem with a leg, foot, hip, or stifle that is causing pain or discomfort when she goes to the right. Do you have a good farrier or vet? I would get her checked out before trying to "win" in this situation.

We had a gelding that did everything beautifully to the right, but would balk when asked to do much of anything to the left. We took him to the vet and had his leg and foot x-rayed and turns out he had broken a couple of the small bones (sesmoid?) in his fetlock. He balked going to the left because it hurt to back up, pivot, turn to the left, etc. We had him put down because the vet said he could step off a high spot, and break his foot off - literally!


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