Carojay
Well-Known Member
I got my boy Jay (Welsh D) about 4 months ago and he is the best boy - very sweet, cuddly and not a nasty bone in his body. But he is very lazy and very stubborn. When he decides he doesn't want to do anything I really struggle to persuade him otherwise.
When I ride in the school at the yard alone I can't really get him to do anything other than plod, and when I ask for a bot more speed he plants his feet and its a real effort to get him going again - I turn his head so he is off balance and has to move to get his balance again but no matter how much I kick he then just moves his back end so he is balanced again and plants again!
He is great on the lunge - walks, trots, canters beautifully, and if I have someone there with me (my teacher, my experienced friend or even my un-horsey mum) they can get him going by using the lunging whip for gentle encouragement - but this is frustrating because I want him to move off my leg when I am alone too!
I take him hacking, but if he is alone he will nap and plant so I usually don't get further than a few hundred yards from the yard. But if we go with other horses heis fine - infant on one occasion he bolted! (One extreme to the other).
My teacher and my experienced friend have both ridden him and although they found him a bit of a struggle to get going they have managed to trot him and canter him - I have tried putting in the strategies they used and have given me but it never seems to work.
I have had his back and teeth checked and no problems were found. I have tried a different saddle which also didn't make any difference. I think it must be me - I don't think he sees me as his boss, but I really do try to be firm and go with the attitude 'you will do what I say' but I still can't persuade him to do it! I do ground work with him - this has improved some areas - e.g. My leading is better and he is beginning to stand at the mounting block, and I lunge him regularly and he is brilliant then - does exactly what I say, it is just when I ride that he decides not to listen to me.
Sorry for such a long ramble but I am really frustrated - I would love to be able to do a bit of schooling and hacking on my own occasionally as I don't always have people around to come out with me! Any advice would be really appreciated!
When I ride in the school at the yard alone I can't really get him to do anything other than plod, and when I ask for a bot more speed he plants his feet and its a real effort to get him going again - I turn his head so he is off balance and has to move to get his balance again but no matter how much I kick he then just moves his back end so he is balanced again and plants again!
He is great on the lunge - walks, trots, canters beautifully, and if I have someone there with me (my teacher, my experienced friend or even my un-horsey mum) they can get him going by using the lunging whip for gentle encouragement - but this is frustrating because I want him to move off my leg when I am alone too!
I take him hacking, but if he is alone he will nap and plant so I usually don't get further than a few hundred yards from the yard. But if we go with other horses heis fine - infant on one occasion he bolted! (One extreme to the other).
My teacher and my experienced friend have both ridden him and although they found him a bit of a struggle to get going they have managed to trot him and canter him - I have tried putting in the strategies they used and have given me but it never seems to work.
I have had his back and teeth checked and no problems were found. I have tried a different saddle which also didn't make any difference. I think it must be me - I don't think he sees me as his boss, but I really do try to be firm and go with the attitude 'you will do what I say' but I still can't persuade him to do it! I do ground work with him - this has improved some areas - e.g. My leading is better and he is beginning to stand at the mounting block, and I lunge him regularly and he is brilliant then - does exactly what I say, it is just when I ride that he decides not to listen to me.
Sorry for such a long ramble but I am really frustrated - I would love to be able to do a bit of schooling and hacking on my own occasionally as I don't always have people around to come out with me! Any advice would be really appreciated!