horse not concentrating when working

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Gorgeous George

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George is such a nosey boy and he loves to look at everything and anything, but this often means that he just won't concentrate on what he is doing (esp on hacks), and at times I think he forgets I'm there! Any tips to help with this?

Thanks
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My horse does this but I'm just as bad really, we both look in people's front gardens etc! Try to get him walking forward and moving off your leg properly, as they tend to plod a bit when they're not looking where they are going. If the ground's ok do lots of transitions, basically treat hacking as an extension of your schooling; I can't school my horse because he's coming back into work so can't be worked on a circle, so hacking is the only option I have really to school him.
I can't really talk because I don't do this all the time but I think the main thing is to be consistent; try to get him to concentrate most of the time, but obviusly give him breaks with a long rein to allow him to stretch. And don't forget that hacking is a good way of letting him look at things and to take an interest in his surroundings, thats what I tell myself anyway!
 
Think you will just have to accept this is part of his lovable character
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Ella, my big mare, does this - she is so busy having a good nose at everything, that sometimes I feel she isn't listening to me at all - I have tried to be more in charge, but this ended up upsetting both of us, so as she is safe as houses I tend to let her get on with it and we both just enjoy ambling along being nosey. Not very BHS I grant you
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My horse is very much like this , on a hack I'm convinced he has to strain his neck to get a proper look.He is for ever walking in one direction , his neck bent looking in the other direction. He walks out lovely and doesn't plod, maybe its a ginger thing !.

I have tried with the tap of the schooling whip, it doesn't really work tbh, if I feel he's away with the fairies somewhere I push him in to trot and do a bit of schooling , but as soon as he's back in walk, he starts being noisy.

I think that just the way he is
 
My lovely boy is often completely banana shaped when I hack him out, he is so busy having a good nosey at interesting things to either side of him. He has always done it (for the past 17 years!!) and he likes to stop in gateways at the side of the road and look off into the distance admiring the view. I have tried in the past to get him to stop, but it hasnt worked. I have just had to accept that this is him
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my boy is the same, he's forward but so nosy, he's only just turned 5 though so everything is probably still exciting for him lol. Once he was being so nosy that he wasnt looking where he was going and started walking into a tree, no matter how much i tried to turn he went plonk into the tree lol. that will teach him for not looking where he is going.
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If he is not concentrating when you are schooling, then my trainer told me it's down to me as the rider to make it more fun so he wants to listen to me
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Easier said than done, but the idea is to try to make what you are doing more interesting than what is on the horizon! So transitions, circles, changes of direction, practice different movements from various dressage tests at random, put poles round the school and go over, round, in and out etc. Try just one or two of these each time, so he never knows what you might be up to in the school next. Also keep the concentrated bits short and sweet so just as he is losing concentration you stop for a long rein walk (and a nice gaze all about!).

If on a hack I'd try things like shoulder in and leg yield (obviously checking for traffic first!) when you want to remind him that you are still on board. And would agree with the others above, if he isn't being dangerous, then let him sometimes look about, as long as he listens to you when it's important and doesn't wander into a tree!
 
Out hacking ask him to work in an outline, stretch down or try doing some leg yielding or shoulder in to keep his attention on you.

In the school do lots of transistions, changes of direction and maybe introduce some pole work.

You're not alone, my horse was the same and it was leading to lots of spooking and also running backwards at shadows whilst schooling, I find if he is concentrating on me this behaviour stops, I try to really vary my schooling and as soon as I feel him stop concentrating on me I put my leg on and ask him to do something different.
 
Sounds familiar, Flash is so interested in peoples front gardens and looking at his reflection in windows! Literally the second you ask for a halt he starts looking around him, which isn't great in a show ring
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