how to get a lazy pony going forward???

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awolstencroft

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Hi, Does anyone have any ideas on how to get a lazy gypsy cob going forward??

A bit of back story:

I rescued Milton in July 2014. He was bred by gypsies for meat and so was essentially wild with ringworm, thrush, mites, ticks and bite marks from the dogs they had used to round them up. We were literally told 'if you let go of it catch it yourself or you've wasted your time coming'!!

Now I'm worried think he might have gone too far the other way as he is the most human orientated friendly happy guy you could meet.

I backed him December 2015 and we've had absolutely no problems until now... We have to take him to a new place every time to ride so he will go forward and explore! I know young horses get bored in the area but considering he has only been ridden in the arena 3 times in 6 months I think he may be taking the biscuit?

He isn't scared or in pain either (we have had everything fitted and him triple checked)

Thanks in advance!

PS if I find out how to attach photos I will!
 
Lessons :) the best thing I did with my lazy horse! You need to make sure they understand what you are asking them to do as well, as he is s youngster he might just not understand properly that leg means go!

What I do with mine is ask once nicely i.e gentle squeeze, if no response he gets bigger kick then use your whip if they ignore that otherwise they get used to you nagging with your leg and learn they can ignore it. He should learn to respond the first time you ask with your leg
 
Thank you!

We are having lessons and we were intending for him to go and be schooled but he really isn't going forward enough to listen!

He does go a lot off voice to be honest because of the ground work we did as we got him but even this is proving redundant now... my instructor has told me the same: squeeze but instead of kick I should flap and make him see my leg and try to hit my boot for the noise as he just ignores the my leg and whip itself!

However if we hack he is just like a normal pony and does everything fantastically! :(
 
I know what you mean with them ignoring it in the school, my pony was the same, a few times of him ignoring the leg and getting a crack with the whip and now I barely need to use the whip, just make sure you mean it when you use it and he should get the message that if he ignores the leg the first time then the whip is there to back it up
 
I'm so glad you've confirmed what i'm doing is right! He's the first pony i've started off so I have been so worried about it thinking it was my fault!

I just need to get that through to my mum too as we are sharing him until he is a little less green and she gets back into riding properly after a 30 year gap!
 
I think it helps finding the right instructor too and I've had lessons before where they've had me nagging him the whole time which just doesn't work, then I changed instructors and by the end of my first lesson he was a different horse :)
 
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