Help getting a "backward" horse more forward?

F

Foaling Around

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 December 2010
Messages
156
Visit site
Hey,
Just wondered if anyone had any tips to help me. Basically I've been riding a light warmblood type horse for someone, and he is very lazy. His walk and trot have improved a lot, but when I'm jumping him, whilst he jumps very nicely, the approach is laboured and you don't get that "feel" on the approach of being taken into the jump. When I try to gallop him he doesn't break out of canter and it just feels like he is not getting going. To be fair he is sweet and goes nicely enough, I just want a bit more, especially if he is going to event at all.

I feel at a bit of a loss as to what to do - I'm used to TB types where going forward is not an issue!! So feel like a bit of a plonker! I'm trying to fitten him up a bit more to help, and I'm very conscious of not nagging him with my legs and riding with a very light contact, which is what improved his flat work, and I try to vary his work as much as I can.

Basically, does anyone have any experience of turning a lazy ********r into something that actually wants to go forward?? Think going hunting would really help him "think forward", but I want to try and improve him before waiting 'till Autumn. Any tips would be greatly appreciated :)

(P.S. back, saddle, teeth etc etc all fine)
 
Fast work hacking or in the arena, bum out of the saddle and have a command like "hup" to mean open up and go, make it fun and exciting!!

B is very lazy schooling but loves jumping so he is much more forward then! But to get him to go forward he gets a squeeze, if that doesnt work a sharp kick, if he still ignores me a kick and a little smack on the shoulder, if that doesnt work big smack on the bottom, he has learnt very quickly that he should move forward after my first request!!!!
 
I have one just like this!! I was also used to forward-going types, and it has taken until now (3 yrs on and now aged 7) to get that lovely feeling (sometimes!) of taking you into the fence and even, if I'm really lucky, a forward, adjustable canter on the approach! Fitness was an issue with mine, and also strength and maturity. He is a big horse, and just didn't seem to 'get it' until this year, and has really come on with fun jumping clinics, cantering in company, and not being allowed too much grass! He switches off completely if allowed to stuff his face, especially during the summer, so I've had to be mean and only allow him 5 or 6 hrs out during the day. We do a lot of halt/rein back to canter - although not always pretty it does the job of sharpening him up. We also school for short periods only, then pop a few jumps, which he loves, then back to schooling for a bit again. XC schooling in company is also great for getting him going forward! Best of luck, keep us posted with your progress.
 
Ooooooh I have a horse like this - big strong, handsome with great paces but soooooo backward in his energy...

He loves jumping but is a bit green or hopeless not sure which...he can't see a stride and will drop poles left right and centre, or go crashing straight through...

In terms of flat work, he won't give me an inside bend, he naps round the corners, doesn't listen to my leg and bucks if I poke him with a crop...he's just generally one of those garrulous horses that takes ages to warm up, just as he's coming good I'm so shattered we have to finish...

He's so goodlooking and wellbred I'm worried I'm wasting him
 
When at home schooling whether it be on the flat or jumping dont squeeze them into an upward transition, really give them a kick and if it takes even half a second for a reaction give them another. It doesnt take that many transitions for them to feel your legs leave their sides and know they have to go before your legs get them!!.

keep doing up and down transitions and demand sharp reactions, if they get a bit runny thats fine to begin with, at least their forward and anticipating the next command.

Remember it doesnt have to be pretty at home! :p
 
I agree with Dora the Explorer!

Make it fun, get them out of the arena, get in a group hacking, ride along the beach, use the gallops, try lots of different things but outside first.
 
Good advise, I would love to do those things and w are really lucky with offroad riding BUT he won't go out alone and gets v stressed and ratty if I try and force the issue, any ideas of how to over come?
 
Frumpoon said:
Good advise, I would love to do those things and w are really lucky with offroad riding BUT he won't go out alone and gets v stressed and ratty if I try and force the issue, any ideas of how to over come?
Click to expand...

Have you tried a foot companion, they quite often take to having a human lead?
 
Ah yes he'll happily follow my mum [he loves her more than me!], but she isn't keen on walking all the way up to the gallops or the field we can use....anybody else he isn't that fussed about, just my mum...:rolleyes:
 
my horse is quite idle. which is frustrating as he's also sharp and spooky so can react badly to a tap from a schooling whip for example. (by "badly" i mean the first time i tried spurs i got bronked onto a fence and trodden on= two broken ribs :rolleyes:)
i have insisted on riding him in spurs (otherwise he'll totally ignore leg) and i hav to be quite black and white with him- ie. squeeze and then if he ignores this a huge PC kick- letting him run forwards if needs be. its getting better although i still have a tendency to have a "tinkerbell canter" which is obviously causing problems SJ. i feel like its a nice canter, trainer disagrees, so now i am thinking about slightly out of control canter and apparantly that is more correct! its a work in progress!!
XC and hacking though he's very forward, he's just lazy in the school....
 
My connie is extremely lazy, though I am lucky in that as soon as the jumps appear he turns into a different pony. He's getting better though. This is what I did. You've probably tried most of it but you never know!

First of all, I invested in a schooling stick with a jumping whip flap at the end rather than a little bit of string. Much more effective, but I don't need to take my hands off the reins.

I spent a good three months forgetting all about outline and just sending him forward in the school. I aimed to get him almost hurrying in every pace, then started to ask him to collect and slow down.

We went through a stage where he completely ignored the leg and whip. If you have this problem, my instructor had an unorthodox solution. Turn the whip around in your hand so the end is pointing towards the head. If the horse doesn't go forward, waggle the whip in the horse's eyeline. Obviously you need to be careful not to hit the horse. It's unorthodox and might make some people freak out, but one session like this seriously improved my boy's reaction to the leg.

Be black and white about every transition, within and outwith the pace, at all times.

School in the fields if you can. That way as soon as he starts feeling backwards you can just open up and send him forwards. Usually works to get my boys mind in gear if he starts switching off.

Have you got friends in the yard? If he really switches off in the school, it might be time to return to pony club, play some games, do some races and just play about in the school. I've been trying to teach my boy to gallop and have needed another horse to actually get him to move up a gear from canter. That was ina field, but a bit of competition might help in the school. If his schooling is well established, maybe some pairs dressage type schooling alongside another horse might help to get him thinking more forward.

Hopefully there's some help there!
 
I think it can be imoroved with the suggestions above but Im not sure backward thinking horses ever really change that much.
 
B-B said:
I think it can be imoroved with the suggestions above but Im not sure backward thinking horses ever really change that much.
Click to expand...

I would respectfully disagree. I get a lot of them to ride, ranging from sticky off the leg to outright rearers and generally find it quite an easy one to "fix" provided you can rule out an underlying cause.

I do see the wisdom of getting a horse out and doing more "exciting" things and definitely feeding/fitness/condition can affect a horse's way of going but frankly, if I ask my horses to move off the leg they HAVE to go. IMMEDIATELY, no question, no comment. I often find the ones I get to work with have a history of being uneducated/unresponsive to the leg/stick but no one thinks it's a "problem" until the horse flat out refuses to go somewhere or do something, when in fact it's the same problem all along.

Perhaps it's a contentious opinion but I think horses HAVE to go, not just want to go. When I've established that basic control THEN I can help the horse see how much fun and more comfortable it can be to swing forward properly and a more general positive outlook comes with the work.

Yes, I mix it up with jumping, hacking etc (partly to teach the horse the same rules apply everywhere) but I don't really understand this idea of horses being reluctant to go forward in the school as being anything other than a fundamental training/obedience issue. Maybe this is because I come originally from a riding "culture" where we spend much more time in the ring (or school, if you'd rather ;) ) due to limitations of weather etc. and yet we don't necessarily have any higher percentage of backward thinking horses. I keep meeting people and horses with what amounts to a "school phobia" but it's unnecessary - schooling CAN be an enjoyable, interesting activity! :D But it might take a bit of work to get the horse to the point where you can convince him as they have to go forward enough to get to the fun bits.
 
TarrSteps said:
I would respectfully disagree. I get a lot of them to ride, ranging from sticky off the leg to outright rearers and generally find it quite an easy one to "fix" provided you can rule out an underlying cause.

I do see the wisdom of getting a horse out and doing more "exciting" things and definitely feeding/fitness/condition can affect a horse's way of going but frankly, if I ask my horses to move off the leg they HAVE to go. IMMEDIATELY, no question, no comment. I often find the ones I get to work with have a history of being uneducated/unresponsive to the leg/stick but no one thinks it's a "problem" until the horse flat out refuses to go somewhere or do something, when in fact it's the same problem all along.

Perhaps it's a contentious opinion but I think horses HAVE to go, not just want to go. When I've established that basic control THEN I can help the horse see how much fun and more comfortable it can be to swing forward properly and a more general positive outlook comes with the work.

Yes, I mix it up with jumping, hacking etc (partly to teach the horse the same rules apply everywhere) but I don't really understand this idea of horses being reluctant to go forward in the school as being anything other than a fundamental training/obedience issue. Maybe this is because I come originally from a riding "culture" where we spend much more time in the ring (or school, if you'd rather ;) ) due to limitations of weather etc. and yet we don't necessarily have any higher percentage of backward thinking horses. I keep meeting people and horses with what amounts to a "school phobia" but it's unnecessary - schooling CAN be an enjoyable, interesting activity! :D But it might take a bit of work to get the horse to the point where you can convince him as they have to go forward enough to get to the fun bits.
Click to expand...

Respecting your opinion but as you say its having to convince them to go forwards.

They must want to...and thats the bit that doesnt change.
 
I have a 17.1hh big lazy warmblood. He is now 8yrs old and it is only in the last year he has suddenly started really taking me into fences- now I even have brake problems! Doing some x-country schooling and fun rides with fences seemed to help him understand he can go more forwards over them. I am sure just being more physically and mentally mature is also a big factor. He always used to fractionally hesitate before fences then clear them by feet Although being so careful is lovely, it has given us a problem with back rails. Doing jump offs more competively now he is old enough to has also made him realise jumping is fun :) He is still a bit lazy with flatwork but getting better and better. I have to be really careful not to nag with the leg, and has others have said, if he doesn't go STRAIGHT off my leg, back it up with a pony club kick or tap with the schooling whip. My only problem is that after a couple of these I can only get walk canter and not walk or halt-trot transitions for the next 10min!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top