We show, alot, and the only time one of our horses has a lunge line attached to their halter is when we are at a show and they need to release pent up energy. Actually I start them teaching them as yearlings. I have two round pens, one indoor and one outdoor. this is what I do, I have a halter and lead and walk them around the fence line of the round pen, I teach them the word walk, then the word trot, and of course the word whoa, all in hand. Once the spoken words are learned, I let the horse off the line and try it using body language and spoken words, the horse is free and praised alot. Nothing is forced as all horses learn differently. I keep lessons short for the young ones, just enough time to basically teach them the english words and for them to respond. As two year olds they know what is expected but lessons are still short. I don't use lunging for conditioning. Some of my horses by the time I travel to a show are worn out and just want to get in a stall and rest, but there always seems to be one or two that are full of themsleves, so off the trailer they trot and into the exercise area to be lunged, therfore they have to have a lunge line attached, but with what they have learned at home, it's no problem. Horses really get enough exercise out in the field playing and just being horses, others may disagree, but I only use lunging at a show cause they are sometimes in a stall for days at a time and need to get some of that energy out.
