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Expert
Posts: 2685
   
| So I made a post beginning of this week about my mare making the best run of her life Sunday. Due to my work schedule this was after being lunged in the arena (loose- not tight circles) sat-thurs and rode fri & sat before the race. I have done the same this week with a barrel race Sat. I work 8-8 mon-thurs. I am pooped by the time I get done with chores and it's usually 10 or so by the time I'm done. I just don't have it to ride. My schedule should change once we hire someone but at the moment this is what I've got.
How many of you pony/ lunge one to keep them in shape? |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| I pony some, don't lunge horses at all.
If I have time to lunge, I have time to ride.
I will pony one one day the next day I will pony the one I rode previously |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| What Cheryl said. I hate lungeing a horse much less use it instead of riding. Bores me to tears and if some reason if my horse thinks we are going to the round pen to lunge, he stops. He would much rather be ridden. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I don't hate lunging my horses. I lunge them in the arena and the gelding bucks and plays so I don't think they hate it either. They get to roll in the sand and such. Its not so much about the time (I mean yes I like to get in bed before midnight) but it is much easier for me to halter 2 horses and grab a lunge whip. I don't have to chase mine, I just stand in the middle and turn. To each their own- I guess its just that this is the first time I have ever competed on a horse without riding at least 4 days a week. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| cheryl makofka - 2015-03-12 6:27 PM I pony some, don't lunge horses at all. If I have time to lunge, I have time to ride. I will pony one one day the next day I will pony the one I rode previously
Same here, I ride one and pony the other 2 and rotate who gets saddled. |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | I do not lunge my horses but use ponying for conditioning quite a bit. |
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 Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7617
Location: Dubach, LA | Don't feel bad. Free lunging is okay. I have an 80 foot round pen and my vet has actually told me that it's easier on my senior horse. It's my best option because he will pony but not be ponied. He's sorta an A**. But he's my A**, and I love him. At least you are excerising your horse. Lots of people don't do that!
Edited by CanCan 2015-03-12 8:05 PM
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | if need to exersize my lazy gelding all I have to do is lock him out of the barn for a few minutes he has a tantrum and runs around like crazy |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| RoaniePonie11 - 2015-03-12 7:28 PM
I don't hate lunging my horses. I lunge them in the arena and the gelding bucks and plays so I don't think they hate it either. They get to roll in the sand and such. Its not so much about the time (I mean yes I like to get in bed before midnight) but it is much easier for me to halter 2 horses and grab a lunge whip. I don't have to chase mine, I just stand in the middle and turn. To each their own- I guess its just that this is the first time I have ever competed on a horse without riding at least 4 days a week.
Unless saddled, lunging doesn't do the same job, not working the same muscles, not the same weight bearing exercise, therefore a horse strictly lunging as you are doing doesn't build up the fast, and slow twitch muscles, doesn't build up the top line, doesn't build up the wind capacity doesn't contribute as much to bone density.
I also believe I read somewhere it is actually harder on the joints continuous circles.
Ground also plays into tendons, ligaments, and joints.
If lunging was superior over riding, everyone would do it |
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 Unknown Drip
Posts: 5624
Location: Back in MT BABY!!! | I might lunge a colt to see if he's going to buck but not to condition them. I do however pony most every day. Like someone said I swap them as to who gets ponied. That being said if all you have time for is to lunge then it's better then nothing at all |
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I AM being nice
Posts: 4396
Location: MD | I don't really care what you do to keep one in shape, but I do feel that it is important to ride one a bit outside of a barrel race. I had two horses come in a couple of years ago who were both blown sky high. before coming to me, they went on the Eurociser all week and were only ridden at the barrel races. Their warm up was pretty short even then. They pretty much got it in their heads that if you were on their back, it meant that it was time to run. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | If what you are doing is working, keep doing it... |
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 Expert
Posts: 1440
Location: Texas | I say do what you gotta do. I usually ride one and pony one and swap the next day. But some days I will just longe them if I don't have time or drive to ride. Some exercise is better than no exercise |
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 Don't Wanna Make This Awkward
Posts: 3106
Location: Texas | You're not giving up riding your horse forever.. I think you're fine. Do what you have to do, atleast you are lunging and not just going to the races with no excersise! Mine gets lunged 3-4 times a week because my apartment is 2 hours away from my barn and when i'm home on the weekends im still 30 minutes away, so I only get to ride 2-3 times a week right now, or I go to a barrel race.
Plus if she had her best run.. Maybe this is the routine she likes? I would ride her the 2nd day after she ran then lunge the rest of the week if this really makes her run better. |
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 Board Detective
Posts: 3885
Location: Millen Ga | cheryl makofka - 2015-03-12 9:18 PM RoaniePonie11 - 2015-03-12 7:28 PM I don't hate lunging my horses. I lunge them in the arena and the gelding bucks and plays so I don't think they hate it either. They get to roll in the sand and such. Its not so much about the time (I mean yes I like to get in bed before midnight) but it is much easier for me to halter 2 horses and grab a lunge whip. I don't have to chase mine, I just stand in the middle and turn. To each their own- I guess its just that this is the first time I have ever competed on a horse without riding at least 4 days a week. Unless saddled, lunging doesn't do the same job, not working the same muscles, not the same weight bearing exercise, therefore a horse strictly lunging as you are doing doesn't build up the fast, and slow twitch muscles, doesn't build up the top line, doesn't build up the wind capacity doesn't contribute as much to bone density. I also believe I read somewhere it is actually harder on the joints continuous circles. Ground also plays into tendons, ligaments, and joints. If lunging was superior over riding, everyone would do it
Curious- those of you that pony- do you pony saddled? If not, then isnt what you said about lunging true of ponying? |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Tanya - 2015-03-13 7:27 AM cheryl makofka - 2015-03-12 9:18 PM RoaniePonie11 - 2015-03-12 7:28 PM I don't hate lunging my horses. I lunge them in the arena and the gelding bucks and plays so I don't think they hate it either. They get to roll in the sand and such. Its not so much about the time (I mean yes I like to get in bed before midnight) but it is much easier for me to halter 2 horses and grab a lunge whip. I don't have to chase mine, I just stand in the middle and turn. To each their own- I guess its just that this is the first time I have ever competed on a horse without riding at least 4 days a week. Unless saddled, lunging doesn't do the same job, not working the same muscles, not the same weight bearing exercise, therefore a horse strictly lunging as you are doing doesn't build up the fast, and slow twitch muscles, doesn't build up the top line, doesn't build up the wind capacity doesn't contribute as much to bone density. I also believe I read somewhere it is actually harder on the joints continuous circles. Ground also plays into tendons, ligaments, and joints. If lunging was superior over riding, everyone would do it
I only saddle the one I am riding. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 628
Location: Missouri | I only pony my good mare. She gets too hot when I decide to try and ride her and then we just end up getting into it. Best to just pony her with my back up horse and keep it simple. |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | I haven't ever lunged anything for exercise, but I will if I want t o get them out somewhere when we are on the road.
I do pony horses to keep them in shape. I have a couple I pony and a couple I pony off of. One mare is a pill to ride in the pasture so she gets ponied because I get bored riding in the arena. When you are trying to minimize your time, and maximize your effectiveness ponying one is key.
You said you still rode acouple days before the race. Keep doing that routine and see what your horse likes. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | It's better than nothing at all. I know people that don't ever ride or even exercise their poor horses during the week and
go to a barrel race and expect them to keep up and do amazing! Smh!  |
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 No Fear
Posts: 5089
Location: TN | I bought a bareback pad to use when I am in a time crunch. It's so simple for the days you have to work....throw it on, get on and ride....it is great exercise for me as well to ride bareback so it's a win, win.....saddle is used the rest of the time.... |
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