How can you..........?

C

Chestnut mare

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Sharpen a horse off your leg? My mares become very lazy out hacking and does not respond to a squeeze to walk on, or a little kick followed by a tap with the stick does not bat an eyelid! If I give her a very hard pony club kick she will grunt and walk a little faster for a few steps then will settle back into a slow plod :mad:.
 
I would do lots of different transistions. If even its just between walk and trot. It may help get her listening a bit more. The other way I read about (my have been your horse) was give a little squeeze if nothing then big tap with the whip. It worked on the study they did, took the horse a few times then it started listening. Hope this helps
 
I have been told to wear spurs on mine if he is being lazy, small squeeze first, if no response, bigger squeeze and tap from the whip, if no response smack with the whip, have only had to resort to the smack once in the school, and as soon as he went forwards lots of praise etc.

He wasnt being naughty, he just didnt understand, and my instructor was adament that although I wasnt sure about using spurs, it was much better to get him to respect my legs and take them off, then just making him dead to my leg and then having to wear them constantly.
 
Ask once with the leg and then follow up with a sharp tick with a schooling whip.

You will soon find her better off your leg and can lose the stick. Worked for me in the past anyway.
 
Lots of schooling :) Do lots of transitions to sharpen them up, turn on the forehand and leg yields to make her more off the leg. Try canter to trot transitions, do about 8 strides of trot then back to canter, 8 strides of canter then back to trot ect!
 
Practice first in the school or in a field.

Give a good nudge with your heels. If you don't get an immediate response give a good toes out pony club kick. If you still don't get a response repeat the pony club kick together with a schooling whip flicked hard behind your leg. Don't tap down the shoulder as you are aiming to get her to respect your leg.

What is very important is that you don't restrict with your hands when she does react. Let her trot or canter on for a few strides (this is why it is best to do in school or field).

Repeat, repeat, repeat. She should very quickly get the idea. Don't get in the habit of nagging with your legs and always insist on getting a reaction.
 
You can use lots of transitions to sharpen the horse up, this works very well with my horse. Also ask first with a squeeze and if no response ask again with a tap of schooling stick and make sure that you allow with your hands. Your horse shouldnt ever need kicked or smacked with a whip! You can smack the whip off your riding boot to create a noise rather than hit the horse.
Also when in walk use your legs alternately with the swing of the horses belly to encourage them to walk out dont nag at their sides. You need to be sure that you arent blocking the horses movement with your seat also as if you are you will just be causing them confusion.
 
I echo what everyone else is suggesting about transitions and leg yielding.

I started part loaning a horse that would barely get out of a walk - he would rather buck that trot! (Lazy bu*ger!)

So I tried leg yielding in walk - which he really responded too, and did loads of transitions, didn't let him settle in a pace, once it was active and he was working, changed gears and seriously even I was amazed at his progress! I can only ride once a week and in a very short space of time he is now a active little horse who listens to my leg. Don't be afraid to use the whip (use a schooling whip)- I don't mean beat him, but give him a well timed tap when he doesn't respond to your leg, and he will learn to be more "in front of the leg"

Recommend 101 schooling exercises book also - has helped me no end!

Good luck! :)
 
Thanks for your replies :). I tried spurs and she didn't take any notice :eek:. I think tbh we have both got a bit stale bad weather this winter = limited riding! We don't have a school so end up doing the same routes over and over again very rarely with company :(. I think I will get the school at the livery yard up the road booked a couple of times a week for the next month or so and work on some of the exercises suggested. She wakes up when we are in the orchard (of course! Lol)
 
I was going to suggest trying some new routes... sorry if your routes are limited... but it sounds like she's begging you to spice things up a little for her. For them, it must be like running on a treadmill is for us!
 
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