Lunging the Possum: Balance Work

April 27, 2019

Possum has crap balance, particularly to the right. And successful games ponies need to have outstanding balance.

I have been working on some light hill work and getting him to better carry himself. He has learned quickly and he has progressed considerably. He is learning to use his neck, back, and butt better and his top line is developing from it.

Friday I decided to step up the lunging. I put on a surcingle, bridle, and relaxed side reins. I could not find my regular length lunge line so I was working with a ground driving line I picked up at auction for tying Daisy in camp at competitions. Not the longest but long enough.

I have lunged Possum a few times, so we have the logistics worked out between us and he went right to work.

I started off to the right, on the flat. Well, relatively flat. I have what I call “the riding field” which is just a field with a semi level section. So slightly angled with some rolls in it which is where I started. I switched direction after a while and eventually walked the circle over to the side of the hill in the other section of the riding field. This part of the hill has a mild grade, and also a minor dip coming into and out of the hill portion of the circle.

Adding in the hill on a lunge line was a suggestion of Jenny’s. She initially mentioned the technique when I was telling her how Possum was throwing his head into a mini leap to go up hills. I did utilize it at the start of his hill work. Unfortunately the footing was so terrible at the time that lunging with even some speed on a hill was a bit too slidie. Now is a good time to add this back in since there is better footing and with Possum having developed somewhat improved balance.

We eased into the hill, adding a bit more with each circle. Possum did a great job and moved decently. Eventually we eased back off the hill and then reversed direction.

Possum is particularly stiff and unbalanced to the right so I wanted to give that side a bit of extra focus. After a few nice circles to the right we worked back onto the hill for a while before coming back to the flat and calling it a good session.

I’ll continue throwing some lunge session into Possum’s training and will shorten the side reins a little. I may also move over to the steeper part of the hill too.

Brief video: