My horse wont lung!

Question
Hi-
My Name is Shelby Farrell and I have a 5 year old retired thoroughbred racehorse that has been off the race track for about ten months. She is trained to stop at a stedy pull and has gone to one show. She is fine to take on trail and can be riden westhern or english, but she will not go when I take her in the round pen and try to lung her. I have tried to use a whip and crack it right behind her over her back. I have taken the string part of the whip and taped it on the back of her hind legs but seh just stands their and looks at me like "do you really expect me to go for that?" So I asked her last owner and she said that she got like that with her and that she trust me to much and she knows tat i will not hit her with the whip sshe told me to hold the whip above herback and lower the string part quickly on to her back and her will go but she still wont go!!! PLEASE HELP ME!
                 thanks so much-
                              Shelby Farrell  

Answer
Shelby,

This is definately a first!  I worked with Thoroubreds for a number of years on the track back in the 70's.  I know how they are trained and this is a real surprise.  Considering how whips are used on the racehorses I've yet to run into one that didn't respect them.  Anyhow, you are going to have to start at square one with this particular horse.  And be prepared to take a long time for this to sink in.  Thoroughbreds are not the brightest horses.  No offense intended to you or the horses.  They are bred for speed not brains and can be a little dense.  I have a Standardbred, my endurance horse, same thing.  It took me years to get her to stand still.  Standing was simply a word not in her vocabulary but I love her dearly nonetheless.

Anyhow, I would put her on a long lead line, forget a lunge line. You are going to have to start with her close to you.  Close enough you can actually lead her around you in a circle.  Encourage her to walk with you at her shoulder on a loose line.  Gradually keep extending the line and moving away from her so that you are not right at her side.  She sounds like an exceptional TB if she's that calm.  I have twirled the end of the lead behind me and slapped a horse with it to encourage them moving forward to keep their shoulder even with mine, if that will work with this one.  You don't want to scare her, just give her a little urging.  If she does respect a whip try carrying a dressage whip and tapping her on the hindquarters as you walk with her.  Be sure you work from both sides.  TB's are rarely handled from their right side, the "off" side, and you may have more success starting with that side since she won't be so conditioned to that.  If that doesn't work maybe enlist someone else to encourage her from back by her hip while you walk with her.  She'll get the idea eventually but, like I said, be prepared to spend as much time as it takes without getting impatient with her.  She trusts you and may have some security issues too that have to be overcome.  TB's are rarely lunged so this is a whole new concept to her apparently.  I don't know what has been done with her prior to your getting her and what you have to overcome from that either.  

Training horses takes a world of patience so don't start unless you have the time.  Be happy with small steps and always try to stop on a positive note.  If your time is limited and you get one small thing done correctly reward her profusely and stop.  Training consists of building on small steps and it may take a while, like a child learning to walk, for her to take those first steps.  Let me know how it goes, contact me if you need more suggestions.  I have trained a lot of horses and some have had me racking my brains for new ways to try to induce them to do what I want.