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Horse lunging equipment: essential kit and useful training aids

Aimi Clark
Pictured is a horse wearing lunging equipment during a training session

There are a few key pieces of horse lunging equipment that you’ll need to have before lunging a horse. At the very least, you’ll need a lunge rein that’s fit for purpose and long enough to do the job properly. You will also need a lunging cavesson, roller and many people choose to have a lunging whip, which can be a useful aid that acts as an extension of their arm. There are also optional lunging aids to consider as well.

Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer Sarah Ridd likes to keep her lunging equipment really simple: “All you need is a roller (or saddle), a lunge cavesson, your horse’s bridle and a set of side reins”, she says.

Having the correct lunging equipment isn’t just about the horse either — wearing gloves, a riding hat and a good pair of riding (or yard) boots will keep you comfortable and safe when you’re lunging a horse.

Useful horse lunging equipment

It is useful to have the following pieces of kit to hand for lunging. You can read more about what each training aid is and how it works by clicking on its name:

Using a lunging aid

I find the use of lunging aids is a big topic on the yard and the cause of great debate amongst horse owners. Personally I have found my horses lunge well in side reins, providing they are working forward into the contact. For one horse I lunged that  The main question is, “should I use one or not?” Ultimately, a training aid that is fitted correctly, used well and for the right reasons, can be of great help when working a horse on the lunge. The problems start when it doesn’t fit properly and so the horse becomes uncomfortable and/or anxious or the person lunging a horse doesn’t really understand how to use the training aid properly.

Here are Your Horse’s golden rules to help you choose the right training aid:

  1. Before using any training aid, make sure your horse is physically able to do what’s being asked. Using any gadget when they have an underlying problem won’t help at all. This could be anything from level of fitness, age and training, through to physical pain in the horse’s mouth or body.
  2. Read the instructions before using a lungeing aid so that you understand how it works and how to fit it. If you’re unsure, ask for advice from a trainer or someone experienced and trustworthy first.
  3. Always start with the training aid on the loosest setting so your horse gets used to wearing it and is able to stretch and warm up properly first. Adjust it gradually.
  4. Don’t expect miracles. Any lunging aid will only work if your technique is up to scratch and it is never a quick fix. Keep your horse moving forwards on the lunge and work them evenly on both reins.
  5. Keep lunging sessions short to avoid injury and gradually increase the length of time you use the training aid. Make sure you loosen it up (or remove it) and allow the horse to cool down and stretch at the end of every session.

Do you really need a lunging aid?

Using a lunging aid is personal choice. Using an aid incorrectly can cause a horse discomfort and confusion, so it is better not to use one if you are not sure how to use it properly. If you do decide to use one, follow these five golden rules:

  1. Make sure your horse is physically able to do what’s being asked of them when you’re lunging. Using any gadget when they have an underlying problem will only make it worse.
  2. Read the instructions before using the lunging aid so you know how to fit it correctly and understand how it works. If you’re unsure, ask for advice from your trainer first.
  3. Always start with the aid on the loosest setting so your horse gets used to wearing it. Then adjust it gradually.
  4. Don’t expect miracles. Horse lunging equipment will only work if your technique is up to scratch. It’s important to keep your horse moving forwards on the lunge and to work them evenly on both reins.
  5. Keep your lunging sessions short to avoid the risk of injury and gradually increase the length of time.

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About

As the editor of Your Horse Online, Aimi oversees all our digital content. She has worked in equestrian media for over 15 years and joined Your Horse as editor in 2017. Aimi has owned and ridden horses all her life. She grew up on a farm in Devon and was a Tetcott & South Tetcott Pony Club member, joining with her first pony — a New Forest called Prudence — before moving on to a Danish Warmblood called Marcus and competing in all activities, but particularly enjoying eventing. She has rehomed and retrained more than 10 ex-racehorses and dabbled in point-to-pointing. There have been plenty of bumps, setbacks and heartache along the way, as well as a lot of fun and many successes. Aimi has two young children and she still loves ex-racehorses. You can often find her hacking her Thoroughbred in the Oxfordshire countryside, flying the flag for Your Horse's #Hack1000Miles challenge.

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