Culture and Arts Sport

Lunge a Trained Horse for Exercise Training

SAQA US 244039 | NQF 1 | Credits 10 | Duration 7 Days
From $1,523 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with the skills to safely and effectively lunge a trained horse for exercise purposes. Participants will learn to assess horse readiness, apply correct lunging techniques, and monitor horse condition to ensure optimal fitness and welfare.

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate safe lunging procedures in an enclosed area.
  • Apply correct use of lunging equipment including lunge line, whip, and cavesson.
  • Analyze horse behavior to adjust lunging pace and direction.
  • Evaluate horse fitness and condition during and after exercise.
  • Implement emergency stop and disengagement protocols.
  • Design a lunging session plan for a trained horse.

Target Audience

This course is designed for horse owners, grooms, riding instructors, and stable staff who need to exercise horses in a controlled environment.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Lunging and Horse Behaviour

Objectives:
• Understand the purpose and benefits of lunging for exercise
• Identify safety protocols and equipment required
• Recognise basic horse behaviour and body language
• Explain the role of the lunge line and whip as aids

Topics:
• Overview of lunging as an exercise method
• Safety considerations: footing, environment, personal protective equipment
• Horse behaviour: flight response, herd dynamics, signs of stress
• Equipment: lunge line, lunge whip, cavesson, boots, bridle
• Basic horse handling and leading techniques

Day 2: Equipment Fitting and Groundwork

Objectives:
• Correctly fit and adjust lunging equipment
• Perform groundwork exercises to establish respect and control
• Demonstrate safe approach and handling of the horse
• Identify common fitting errors and their consequences

Topics:
• Fitting the cavesson: sizing, adjustment, and comfort
• Securing boots and protective gear
• Groundwork: yielding hindquarters, backing up, and disengaging
• Leading exercises: walk, halt, turn on forehand
• Evaluating equipment fit: pressure points and rubbing

Day 3: Lunging Aids and Communication

Objectives:
• Use voice commands, body language, and whip aids effectively
• Establish a consistent communication system with the horse
• Maintain correct positioning relative to the horse
• Understand the effects of different whip cues

Topics:
• Voice commands: walk, trot, canter, whoa, and transitions
• Body language: driving vs. blocking aids
• Whip aids: pointing, tapping, and swinging
• Positioning: triangle of control, maintaining safe distance
• Common communication faults and corrections

Day 4: Lunging Gaits and Transitions

Objectives:
• Lunge the horse at walk, trot, and canter on both reins
• Execute smooth upward and downward transitions
• Maintain rhythm, tempo, and balance
• Identify gait irregularities and adjust aids accordingly

Topics:
• Establishing rhythm at each gait
• Transitions: walk-trot, trot-walk, trot-canter, canter-trot
• Maintaining quality of gaits: cadence, impulsion, straightness
• Common issues: rushing, leaning in, falling out
• Adjusting circle size and direction changes

Day 5: Advanced Lunging Techniques

Objectives:
• Introduce lateral work and pole exercises on the lunge
• Use lunging to improve suppleness and engagement
• Implement changes of rein and figure-of-eight patterns
• Develop the horse's topline and core strength

Topics:
• Lateral work: shoulder-in, haunches-in on the circle
• Pole exercises: ground poles, raised poles, grids
• Changes of rein: through the circle, on the diagonal
• Figure-of-eight patterns: maintaining rhythm and bend
• Conditioning exercises for strength and flexibility

Day 6: Troubleshooting and Problem Solving

Objectives:
• Identify and correct common lunging problems
• Apply techniques to manage challenging behaviour
• Adapt lunging for different horse temperaments
• Implement safety interventions when necessary

Topics:
• Common problems: bucking, rearing, spooking, pulling
• Corrective exercises: transitions, serpentines, yielding
• Working with hot, lazy, or anxious horses
• Safety protocols for difficult horses
• When to stop and reassess

Day 7: Lunging Programs and Assessment

Objectives:
• Design a structured lunging session for exercise
• Evaluate the horse's progress and adjust the program
• Demonstrate competence in all practical aspects
• Understand record-keeping and session planning

Topics:
• Structuring a lunging session: warm-up, main work, cool-down
• Session planning: duration, intensity, frequency
• Progress tracking: gait quality, behaviour, fitness
• Final practical assessment
• Review of key learning points

Practicals

28 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Practical sessions form the core of this course, allowing learners to apply theoretical knowledge under supervision. Learners will handle horses, fit equipment, and execute lunging exercises across all gaits, progressing from basic control to advanced patterns. Assessment of practical competence is integrated throughout.

Practical Activities
  • Equipment Fitting and Groundwork — Learners practice fitting cavesson, boots, and lunge line on a horse, then perform groundwork exercises to establish control. (6h)
  • Basic Lunging: Gaits and Transitions — Learners lunge a horse at walk, trot, and canter on both reins, focusing on rhythm and smooth transitions. (8h)
  • Advanced Lunging: Lateral Work and Poles — Learners introduce lateral movements and pole exercises, including changes of rein and figure-of-eight patterns. (8h)
  • Troubleshooting and Final Assessment — Learners address common problems (e.g., rushing, spooking) under supervision, then complete a practical assessment. (6h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Wed 09 Sep 2026 Thu 17 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Tue 29 Sep 2026 Wed 07 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Tue 27 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,523 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Tue 15 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Fri 15 Jan 2027 Mon 25 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Thu 18 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,523 Register
Wed 03 Mar 2027 Thu 11 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 09 Mar 2027 Wed 17 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Tue 23 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 11 Jun 2027 Mon 21 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 01 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Wed 21 Jul 2027 Thu 29 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,523 Register
Tue 07 Sep 2027 Wed 15 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Tue 05 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 22 Oct 2027 Mon 01 Nov 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,523 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Tue 14 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Fri 31 Dec 2027 Mon 10 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
Thu 20 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,523 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Tue 18 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,607 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Tue 18 Aug 2026 Mauritius Winter 2026 $4,525 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Wed 19 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,769 Register
Wed 12 Aug 2026 Thu 20 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,929 Register
Thu 13 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,284 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Thu 17 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Wed 07 Oct 2026 Thu 15 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Tue 27 Oct 2026 Wed 04 Nov 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,982 Register
Tue 15 Dec 2026 Wed 23 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Tue 26 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Fri 26 Feb 2027 Mon 08 Mar 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,982 Register
Thu 11 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 17 Mar 2027 Thu 25 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 23 Mar 2027 Wed 31 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Tue 22 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 09 Jul 2027 Mon 19 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Thu 29 Jul 2027 Fri 06 Aug 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,982 Register
Wed 15 Sep 2027 Thu 23 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 05 Oct 2027 Wed 13 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Tue 02 Nov 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,982 Register
Tue 14 Dec 2027 Wed 22 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Tue 11 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Fri 28 Jan 2028 Mon 07 Feb 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,982 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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