Free Lounging (Lungeing)
I felt the blood drain from my face as I sat and watched a teenage student free lunge a horse in a round pen. The horse was herd-bound, meaning he was very distressed whenever he was separated from his stable mates. Free lungeing (asking the horse to move about in a small pen without a lunge line attached to the horse's head) was being used to "take the edge off" him and help him get used to being separated from the others before being ridden.
The girl in the center of the pen swung a lead rope at the horse to chase him around. The effect of her movements was to annoy the horse when he occasionally noticed it. I watched in horror as the horse galloped, bucked and kicked around her unrestrained. The girl kept twirling the lead and occasionally clucking, oblivious to her danger.
A year ago I would have been equally oblivious to her danger. But a near miss accident of my own and a visit with a dear old friend changed my views and practices on free lungeing and ground handling.
My experience was with a little paint mare. She was a sweet thing--not a mean bone in her body. However, she was easily spooked, and had no respect for or trust in her handlers. It was difficult to get and direct her attention.
I thought this mare would be a good candidate for some "joining up" techniques which start with free lungeing. I learned about these techniques from Monty Roberts's books and used them before with some success. I didn't see myself in any danger as I stood in the center of the round pen and began chasing the little mare around with the lead rope. My experience handling thoroughbred stallions made dealing with this little mare well within my comfort zone.
Suddenly the mare spooked. She bolted across the center of the round pen and kicked out. My life flashed before me as I clearly saw the sole of her right hind hoof coming straight at my face. By grace of God or act of fate the hoof stopped inches from my nose, covering my face with dirt.
In the second it took to catch my breath I clearly saw what a vulnerable position I had needlessly put myself in and vowed I would never free lunge a horse again.
There is no benefit from free lungeing that can not be achieved just as well with the safety of a lunge line attached to a halter or lunging caveson. When you give up control of the horse's head you also give up control of the powerful hindquarters--and put yourself in a very dangerous position.
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