At my spurs end!

[jes_nibley]

My wee welshie can be so hard to keep forward going! I virtually have to kick him every stride to keep a decent pace up. (i mean proper pony-club flapping) it looks hideous, and it's with spurs. I have tried backing up m leg aids with the whip but that makes no difference.
He's not dead to the leg because just occasionally i hardly have to touch him and we're away like the wind.
He's not unfit and could qiute happily trot all day...once we've finally got going. he's ridden six days a week and gets really stroppy if he has to have time off!
I don't know what to do, i hate kicking him so much, any ideas?

 

[filly190]

Cattle prod (only joking)

 

[Halfpass]

What about trying to feed him something to give him a little more energy. What is he fed at the moment?

 

[henryhorn]

It works better if you carry two long schooling whips and use them every time he doesn't go forward willingly. kicking him will just harden the skin where you kick and he will ignore it even more.
Difficult to feed him up as he won't cope with loads of feed either, but you could try some competition mix in small quantities to start with.

 

[Happy Bird]

When my mare needs waking up, I kick her on one side then the other, rather than both sides at the same time, and it seems to do the trick....

 

[jes_nibley]

"cattle-prod" believe me it's tempting!

feed: at the moment he's fed twice a day - generous handful of happy hoof, 3/4 scoop of slow release energy mix, small handful naked oats and 1/2 scoop speedi beet, with garlic, seaweed and venti-pulmin.

so, it's not like he's not getting the input. it's there somewhere, i just can't find it.

i completely agree with not wanting to harden the skin etc, which is why i'm getting desperate to find a solution now.

 

[GTs]

There is really no need to pony club kick with spurs - it is not going to get better. If you are at that point you need to look for alternative ways. If he seems lathargic all the time I would definately get a vet check done. If not feed is definitely a great option, Vit B shot, but the main thing that I believe will do it is changing your attitude. Have you ever been in a job where you hated it everyday, it was a grind, etc? That feeling is the worst, and imagine if your horse who can not talk is feeling that - how is he going to show it? I would personally make life as much fun for him as possible, turn him out with no riding for a few months, 24/7 turnout, no work in the arena, ride in fields, really let him go, run, ride out with friends and gallop through the woods, etc. This will get him moving forward out of enjoyment and then you will have a completely different horse.

And about the cattle prod - I have cattle proded a horse - it is not that much fun!!!

 

[AmyMay]

Why are you feeding Venta Pulmin?? If he is chesty could this be wear the problem lies - he simply doesn't have the puff to do what you are asking??????

 

[miamibear]

I agree with amymay re the ventapulmin, for whatever reason you are using it is that the reason he is not forwards enough?

Also i would lunge quite a bit to get him listening to voice commands and body language, if you can get him going off a sharp "trot on" then he should respect that under saddle too it may take a while though, even loose school, doesnt matter how forwards he goes as long as he moves when you ask him. I think its a training issue and should be dealt with as such.

I would also agree with 2 whips, the sound of a whip is much more scary than actually hitting a horse with one so i would waft it to make it sound like a swishing noise towards his head, dont touch him and a kick at the same time.

Try to wean him off the legs. I know its hard but try to keep your legs as still as possible.

You could also go back to riding whilst lunging like a starter, get him used to moving forwards from a voice aid then add a rider on the lunge and get him to associate the voice with a leg aid.

Im afraid i dont think there is a quick fix for this one, its obviously an ingrained problem.

Good luck hun

 

[jes_nibley]

he's plenty fit enough to do the work, and if he has time off he becomes a grumpy nightmare. i've had him nine years, he was beaten until i got him as a two year old. it took nearly two years to gain his full trust and he still wont go near men.

i don't have access to an arena so any schooling is done out hacking. but haven't done any proper schooling as trying to get him forward going.

as for galloping aroung fields and woods, he's the same. well, he takes off at a great rate of knots but three strides later backs off again. we do 1-2 fast rides a week.

the vet has checked and says he's fine, the venti-pulmin is because he has copd, vet said to keep him on it. in all fairness i don't think he's that different without it.

i'm sorry, you all probably think i'm a clueless twit but i've ridden for nearly fifteen years and he really has me stumped.

i don't know if this helps but brief history for him :
beaten from foal to two yr old, kept in large barn and yard with section c (also rescued) with me, still a child, gaining their trust. first step to training was to be led everywhere - this was to introduce him to things and also to gain trust, led out with friend riding her horse. backed at four, then lunged and long reined to give time to develop. had bad accident at four 1/2 (tried jumping a barb-wired fence and got stuck front feet one side and back feet the other), brought slowly back into work at just over five. i had bad rding accident when he was six, spent three months in hospital and six months not riding - he was turned out and looked over by a friend. at seven he was sent away (only down the road)to be broken to drive but went blind in one eye so scuppered that plan. when he came back into ridden work he tweaked his extensor tendon on near fore cannon bone, needed box rest and bandaging. spent a long time hacking out in company building tendon strength and learning to deal with eyesight, or lack of. started hacking alone at 8/9. can now happily do both, just the forward going problem, i took him schooling about a year ago and that was hopeless, wasn't interested at all, so decided dressage was not going to be our forteit (sp?) any 'schooling' now is just to get him working properly through from behind.
he isn't any better when in company so it's not that he's lonely. and he does genuinely enjoy life and is bright and alert when we hack, he just wont stay forward.

so, all in all, it's not been a smooth ride but we're getting there. would like to get him out cubbing or something over the winter but want to sort this out and get him a wee bit fitter first.

again, sorry, and thank you!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
would like to get him out cubbing or something over the winter but want to sort this out and get him a wee bit fitter first.

[/ QUOTE ]
I really wouldn't worry about that - just get him out. It made a world of difference to my little mare who was never very forward thinking.

She turned in to the most wonderful little hunter, and it completely changed her outlook on life.

Good luck.