Free lungeing....how, why etc.?

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[ash]

Your thoughts and exeriences please. 

[Candypony]

My horse LOVES it... she'll happily "lunge" herself around me on a 20 m -ish circle (the school is 20  x 60).  And if I have a friend we can get her to do the whole school, changing the rein in a figure of 8.

It's a good opportunity to see your horses natural paces - and you will become incredibly aware of your body language and position in relation to wear your horse goes.  If I step slightly in front of candy's movement, she'll instantly change direction in a neat outward pirouette move...

I generally loose school with no tack, just a head collar.  I would boot up a horse I didn't know as well though - and obviously the school has to be secure! Definitely wouldn't do this on your own the first few times either.

I also loose jump - Candy thinks this is the best game ever.  We build a fence that can be jumped in both directions on one side - I say "go" and she jumps it, turns neatly and jumps it back before halting at the bottom of the school, waiting for the "go" again.  She's so funny, just about containing herself to wait while the jump is adjusted before cantering down to it, looking at me, proud as punch. Persuading her to jump the fence in one direction only is much challenging. And persuading her to jump sensibly only happens when it goes over 3' - then she trots at them! 

[issywizz]

One further point as to why;
If we can teach the horse to do everything we wish loose then it means we dont need any pressure on the line when we start to use the line ( which is necessary for finesse).
If there is any weight in the line then it unbalances the horse and works against everything we may be trying to achieve through lungeing( with either one or two reins).
The other point about that is that I truly am appalled when I hear of people lungeing off the bit ( or worse) for 'control' with a young horse-if it had been free schooled first in a fenced off area( which need only be a taped off section of a school,so anybody can do it) there would be absolutely no need to be hauling on its mouth for 'control'.Sure,I can lunge B in a bit if I like-when the horse has learnt to be as light as a feather because of proper training using body language you can lunge in what you like.
As to how,its easiest to start off in walk in a 11m square area roped/taped off.Theres lots you can do but the body language is vital so I would reccomend reading Klaus Hempflings book "Dancing with horses" for both ideas and techniques as its the best I have come across.

[Jenny]

One further point as to why;
If we can teach the horse to do everything we wish loose then it means we dont need any pressure on the line when we start to use the line ( which is necessary for finesse).
If there is any weight in the line then it unbalances the horse and works against everything we may be trying to achieve through lungeing( with either one or two reins).

  couldn,t agree more with this