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turns quickly opposite direction on lunge line.
Hello my name is Carol and I have a 2 and a half year old gelding and I have been training him on a lunge line but when I lunge him on the right side direction he bolts and quickly turns going left! And when I get a hold of him I talk to him gently and turn him in the right direction and sometimes he starts to rear and act up! But I don't give up and keep saying " No!" but he is a little rascal and is learning the rearing bit! Which I do not like! Titan is not a mean horse he is just frisky as the weather feels good to him right now as we live in Texas!
Please give me some advise on what to do. As I am a little lady handling a 15 hand horse!
Sincerely, Carol
Hi Carol,
If he were my horse I would begin to work very gently up close with him. Stop using a long lunge line for a while. I would get him softly lunging on a lead rope. Use a short dressage whip to motivate him gently. Go slowly, don't push him. Keep it soft and easy while he gets used to it all. Many horses are only handled on the left (near) side. This makes them not want to have a handler on their off side (right). That may be what is going on here. To move through this, quiet down as much as you can and get him working gently, smooth and supple in both directions. Almost no pressure in the request. He is still a baby and you should keep your sessions fairly short still. 20 or so minutes maximum on one thing. I have some training DVD's I have done that show a lot of this if you are interested. It should be fairly easy to ask him to move at a walk, not a trot, around you. Then smoothly and quietly ask for a directional change. I have found if you begin slowly and softly and get it down that way, it will be much easier to eventually speed it all up. Usually, folks start out way to fast and end up having difficulties as you have described. Also, this will allow him to get used to being handled on his off side as well as his near side.
Anyway, that is what I would suggest you try. Please keep me posted and let me know how it all goes.
Sincerely, Franklin