Strength from the ground: Reclaiming the lost art of lunging
- Isaac Ares
Strength from the Ground: Reclaiming the True Power of Lunge Work
We dream of horses that carry themselves with elegance, push from behind with power, and move through supple backs that breathe with every stride. But we forget or we were never taught that such horses are not built only from the saddle. They are shaped from the ground.
Lunge work, when done with knowledge and care, is not a lesser form of training. It is essential. It allows the horse to develop without the weight and influence of the rider. It gives them space to explore their balance, to strengthen the back, to activate the hind legs all while being seen, supported, and guided from the center of the circle.
And yet...There’s a widespread belief that lungeing is harmful. That it causes wear, resistance, tension. Even some veterinarians, physiotherapists, and trainers recommend avoiding it. Why?
Because what’s commonly practiced today is not lungeing it’s a distortion of it. Horses spinning in tight circles, tied down with side reins, neck stretchers, draw reins, or contraptions that force postures instead of inviting movement.
Under these conditions, of course it becomes damaging. Of course it creates resistance. Of course the horse braces instead of releasing, hollows instead of lifting, disconnects instead of engaging.
So the reputation is not entirely unfair but it is misdirected. It’s not the lunge that harms the horse. It’s the misuse of it. The misunderstanding. The mechanical substitutes for feel, timing, and purpose.
Lungeing done with art, with ethics, with understanding is not just a warm up or a tool for rehab it’s the foundation of the classical work. In many cases, it’s more important than riding, because it teaches the horse to carry itself first before we ask it to carry us.
Let’s be clear: any device that forces the horse into a frame is a shortcut with a cost. They may create an image, but they destroy the function. True strength, true balance, true back engagement comes from freedom guided by clarity, not from gadgets.
So next time you step into the circle, don’t think of it as “just lunging. ”Think of it as sculpting the back, awakening the hindquarters, refining the mind. Think of it as the quiet place where true training begins not with pressure, but with presence.
It’s time we reclaim the lunge as the art it truly is.
Isaac Ares
