Light as a feather

Through sensible training on the lunge line,the horse can beoptimally prepared for being carried by a rider and, in addition to riding, can be moved and trained throughout its life in a way that promotes health. Monotonous, unphysiological lunging tires the mind and wears out the body. (…) It’s not so much what exercises we do, but how exactly we do them. How a horse moves, how it reacts to the lunger and how the communication between the two develops has a strong influence on what will happen in the course of further training (also under saddle). Small details can make big differences (…), lunging can close gaps in basic training and correct understanding problems, which immediately has a positive effect on other parts of training.

From: “Lunging as a dialog with the horse” by Katharina Möller (Our book tip!!)

Your horse is gently encouraged to shift its weight from the forehand to the hindquarters by an impulse in the chest area. This supports horses that are difficult to bring upright, horses that tend to stumble, but also horses that like to lie on the reins due to a lack of balance or tend to run off. Overall, the ^Equizügel® is used to support the horse’s balance and coordination.

But the rider also benefits from riding with the ^Equizügel®, because the hands have a smaller radius of action, which inevitably leads to the rider consciously creating body tension in the back and thus considerably improving his sitting position. The interaction between seat and action is promoted by the self-learning effect. Riding independent of the reins is trained in this way.

By carefully yielding the normal reins, you can feel your way towards riding without reins without losing control or becoming unsure.

Working on the double lunge is another very effective way of training your horse from the ground. For example, you can prepare your horse for riding, work on bending and position, prepare for driving. But above all, this training offers wonderful variety with a wide range of exercise options.

The two lunges, attached to the bit or sidepull rings, simulate the reins. You can therefore support the ground work wonderfully with fine rein aids, bend and position your horse on the lunge line and offer him the stretching position again and again.

Note: As the long lines have a slight or even very large leverage effect due to the line guide – depending on how they are buckled – your aids will be amplified. Added to this is the weight of the lunge line – the heavier it is, the more swinging. So work carefully and finely and don’t underestimate your strength.