Horses!!!!!!!!

[Wintent]

I have successfully put muscle on my moms mare by lunging her with a lead rope. Be very careful while doing with a lead rope as it is very short compared to a lounge line, but with it being a tighter circle, it makes them build muscle. She does well in a canter and you can really see them muscles working. However you have to watch them very carefully doing it that way

Ok thanks ill try that!

 

[Wintent]

My QH Jewel I know it isnt a cute foal pic lol, but had to post because i just love her so much! This mare was rescued last year totally emaciated, and beat up. Look how she has blossomed!

Beautiful!

 

[TherryChicken]

Be very careful wintent, but it works their front and back muscles due to the sharpness and shortness of the turn.. but they can catch theirself easily, so becareful and watch yourself so you dont get hurt.

 

[Wintent]

Be very careful wintent, but it works their front and back muscles due to the sharpness and shortness of the turn.. but they can catch theirself easily, so becareful and watch yourself so you dont get hurt.

I will dont worry.

 

[flockofbantams]

b

...

My QH Jewel I know it isnt a cute foal pic lol, but had to post because i just love her so much! This mare was rescued last year totally emaciated, and beat up. Look how she has blossomed!

[/quote
She is beautiful!
She looks good!

 

[Bunnylady]

Be very careful wintent, but it works their front and back muscles due to the sharpness and shortness of the turn.. but they can catch theirself easily, so becareful and watch yourself so you dont get hurt.

Stepping on themselves (or you) isn't the only risk. The tightness of the circle (either lunging or round penning) puts a lot of strain on the hocks, so you need to keep the sessions relatively short. Also, you need to change directions frequently (like every couple of minutes) to avoid fatiguing one set of muscles too much.

 

[TherryChicken]

Bunnylady, yes I am very aware of that, thank you! When I do it which isnt often at all, I will do it for maybe 5 minutes going in both dirrections, more trotting then cantering. Very short moments of cantering as I can see when she feels the "burn" of the muscles then I will slow her down and turn her and slowly work up to that. Oh and I mean 5 min total not 5 min in both directions.

 

[Bunnylady]

Bunnylady, yes I am very aware of that, thank you! When I do it which isnt often at all, I will do it for maybe 5 minutes going in both dirrections, more trotting then cantering. Very short moments of cantering as I can see when she feels the "burn" of the muscles then I will slow her down and turn her and slowly work up to that. Oh and I mean 5 min total not 5 min in both directions.

Easy, kiddo. Not criticizing you at all. I think lunging is a very useful exercise when done right; I just think you need to include all of the caveats when suggesting it. It's a great way to get a horse listening to you and focusing on you. It can be very useful for building muscle on a horse that hasn't been ridden for a while, without the added stress on the back muscles of a rider's weight.

It's just that like anything, there are right ways, and then, there are other ways.

I have a QH (not the Pali, another one) that was previously leased by someone who would lunge her until she was dripping with sweat, then wonder why the horse seemed to be lame all the time. When I started working with this horse after a 2-year layoff, it took me a couple of weeks to convince her that she could walk on a lungeline; hook a long line on her, and she was like, "run, run, gotta RUN!"

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Easy, kiddo. Not criticizing you at all. I think lunging is a very useful exercise when done right; I just think you need to include all of the caveats when suggesting it. It's a great way to get a horse listening to you and focusing on you. It can be very useful for building muscle on a horse that hasn't been ridden for a while, without the added stress on the back muscles of a rider's weight.

It's just that like anything, there are right ways, and then, there are other ways.

I have a QH (not the Pali, another one) that was previously leased by someone who would lunge her until she was dripping with sweat, then wonder why the horse seemed to be lame all the time. When I started working with this horse after a 2-year layoff, it took me a couple of weeks to convince her that she could walk on a lungeline; hook a long line on her, and she was like, "run, run, gotta RUN!"

 

[TherryChicken]

Bunnylady, oh im not getting protecting, just explaining my situations no hard feelings. Yeah I dont do the lounging often at all. For the year ive had her ive only done it like 5 to 10 times. That was in the begining. Then I did it as well because she got a little hoppy and I wanted to snap her out of it. I also dont do it long at all and I watch her very very closely. Anything off and I stop her or slow her down. She has gained alot of weight and muscle since we got her.