Lunge lessons--fun or torture?

[Vesper Sparrow]

I had my first lunge lesson today and it was actually fun. I thought I'd be lurching all over the place and trying not to slide off, but it wasn't too bad. I also thought I'd be terrified and useless without reins, but I just kept my hands on my hips and I felt fairly relaxed. I was on super smooth, super even rhythmed Cruiser, rather than my bone-jarring mare, so that helped. And it also helped that we started out at a jog but my trainer picked up the pace in the second part of the lesson.

We did sitting and posting trot with and without stirrups. I had to bring my legs up jockey style. I had to drop my stirrups and pick them up again over and over again (surprisingly hard when you're posting without stirrups). I had to close my eyes and say when the outside shoulder was forward, which was fairly easy at the sitting trot but I wasn't able to do it at the posting trot. Next time, maybe.

So we will be doing a lunge lesson every Friday and I am looking forward to it. Am interested to know if you have enjoyed your lunge lessons or rather see them as a necessary evil. And I would like to hear the kinds of things I can look forward to in the next lessons.

I took a couple of Alleve when I got back home, needless to say.

[BaroqueLady]

It sounds as if you had a terrific first lunge lesson!

When I began taking lessons with my current teacher two years ago, she kept
me on the lunge line for 3 months! I still remember telling my husband after
my first lesson that I had been on "a slab sided pogo stick trotting Tb". It
is amazing how much smoother that mare has become since those days!;)
I still am put on the lunge line regularly. It is a wonderful opportunity for me
to work on my seat. Not all teachers give lunge lessons so count your
blessings!

[Bayou Roux]

Not unlike sex, if it ain't fun, one of you isn't doing something right...;)

[Vesper Sparrow]

I am counting my blessings, Baroque! Particularly since I was only expecting one or two lessons at the most (I asked for them rather than vice versa).

"Slab sided pogo stick trotting TB" pretty much describes my current mare, so it will be interesting to see if she feels better after a few lessons.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how cantering feels without stirrups, since that is a particular phobia with me. I have a feeling it's not going to be too bad.

[BaroqueLady]

The canter is a phobia/problem for me as well (bad accident 15 years ago...
4 surgeries, wheelchair/crutches for 2 years blah, blah, blah).

On the lunge line the canter is not nearly as 'scary'...you KNOW you aren't
going anywhere except on that circle for one thing!

Without stirrups is actually easier, I find, as you are not tempted to brace
yourself against them which pops you out of the saddle and makes it
impossible to sit the canter properly. Lunge line work will do wonders for you!
Really!!

[Vesper Sparrow]

What I find particularly cool is how much your seat deepens--I'm going to have to lengthen my stirrups a full hole already!

Maybe this is better than sex, Bayou :lol::lol::lol:

[Vesper Sparrow]

[QUOTE=BaroqueLady;3528494]The canter is a phobia/problem for me as well (bad accident 15 years ago...
4 surgeries, wheelchair/crutches for 2 years blah, blah, blah).

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

I'm just a chicken, basically. I did have a bad experience as a kid (mother met "trainer" in bar, signed me up for lesson, lesson involved cantering without stirrups in a big field on big fast TB, fell off twice and it hurt).

[Ibex]

LOVE lunge lessons! And things are really less scary when there's someone else directing the horse. First time I cantered without stirrups I was told to close my eyes and just feel it instead of thinking about it... worked amazingly...

[imapepper]

Not unlike sex, if it ain't fun, one of you isn't doing something right...;)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I love lunge lessons. I think I might have recently found someone to give me some again too :D

[Trevelyan96]

I have never had one and am really looking forward to it with new trainer! When I first went to the barn to watch lessons to figure out if it would be worth the drive, I was very impressed with how good all the seats were on the little kids... having always done hunters, the only thing I ever really learned well was leg. Hopefully my guy will be calmer this week so we can do some real work. Last week was a fiasco... had to keep at the walk with the trainer leading him... Oh well, I'll chalk it up to first time at new barn... but I haven't seem him like that in 5 years. :-(

[JGHIRETIRE]

I had not ridden in 10-12 years - so they started me out on the lunge line.

I did kick downs - kick ups - I've had to hold a stuffed animal - scissor kicks, arm circles - I was on the lunge line for about 6 mos. I still get put on the lunge line now and again. It started out at a walk and a trot - then moved up to a canter - all of this WITHOUT stirrups. In fact I still don't ride with stirrups - hardly even think about them.

It's fun - because they have me try to do 2 things at once - it's like trying to walk and chew gum and we both end up laughing hysterically.

[pattir7]

You asked if lunge line lessons were fun or torture... I'd say a bit of both! :lol: I personally enjoy the lunge lessons I get. I look at it as a time when I can focus on my position without needing my hands... My trainer has me stretch out my arms, turn side to side while in all three gaits so I can feel how my upper body affects my seat... we also work on sitting trot...which is a bit of a challenge for me as my boy has big, bouncy movement.... I've recently started doing some no stirrup work (just at walk)... and gosh, does that help loosen me up and helps me with my seat too... I know where every leg is without looking when I don't use stirrups. When I do go to use them again, my legs feel cramped... yeah, I love lunge lessons...

[Bayou Roux]

Maybe this is better than sex, Bayou :lol::lol::lol:

There are days...

[TropicalStorm]

well I wouldn't say it was fun (definitely not something I'd really look forward to in terms of amusement and relaxation! ) but the benefits I get from it makes it totally worth while

[Moogles]

I got lunge lessons when I was very young and had to ride without stirrups off and on probably for about a year when I started taking dressage lessons. It was the best thing for the foundation of my seat. I remember having a bar of soap tied to one wrist and having to toss it back and forth between hands in all the gaits. Talk about having to have independent seat/hands! I still to this day get occasionally lunged to refresh me. I remember thinking it was horrible torture back in the day, but now not so much!:yes:

[Vesper Sparrow]

Wow, bars of soap and stuffed toys! There are a lot of creative trainers out there. :) We'll see what mine comes up with.

If nothing else, just that one lesson has really boosted my confidence.

[RiddleMeThis]

I personally LOVE lunge lesson. They really really help me.

The funnest lunge lesson I ever had was they day I spent the entire lesson play "Around the World." You start out sitting normally then you have to move (either to the left or right) so that you are sitting side saddle and hold that for a little bit and then you have to move so you are sitting backwards and then hold that and then back to side saddle on the other side hold that, and then finally back to normal.

And do all of that in all three gaits. Hit the ground a few times but has helped my balance more than any exercise I have ever done.