Is this a youngster thing?

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Kelly1982

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He seems to get tired really quick despite being super fit and I can't work out wether it's coz he is young or lazy??

He goes into the school and he goes wonderfully for first 10mins and then he starts to become really hard work or he just stops when u take your leg off.

If your jumping he jumps lovely over the first few and then after a while he starts to stop dead once he has jumped the jump.

I try not to ride him for too long in the school, usually half hour max as I know it can be mentally tiring for a baby.

Hacking out and XC he is fine. And he is getting better the more balanced he gets.

Just wondered if anyone else's baby does this and it will improve with time or if this is just him as my mare has always been super forward going even as a youngster.
 
I call him a youngster but he is actually 10yo.

He was broken in September last year and was ridden 3 times a week until November. He had 2 months off of work coz of my work commitments and then he was brought back into work in Jan.
 
He's by no means a baby, aha. Confuses me so much when people call horses over 4 a youngster O.o

Eitherway, i'd probably get him checked over by vet if I had any real concerns. It SOUNDS as if he's just being lazy but it's hard to tell without seeing the horse work. Seeing as he's fine doing "fun" activities, i'd put it down to just laziness.
 
I call him a baby coz mentally when it comes to ridden work he is. Any it's easier saying youngster than 'my 10yo who hasn't been broken long'.

He has had all normal checks done, saddle was done 2 months ago, teeth were done last month and so was physio so I'm pretty sure it's not a physical thing.

Was hoping it was a baby thing that would improve with time.
 
it could be a heat thing or just hes struggling to concentrate for long periods of time, if he's only just been brought into work? what did he do for the first 9 years? do you know?
 
I expect that he will become better as the summer progresses. Just take it easy. 10 years doing nothing and then, bam! Work.
 
Kelly1982 said:
I call him a baby coz mentally when it comes to ridden work he is. Any it's easier saying youngster than 'my 10yo who hasn't been broken long'.

He has had all normal checks done, saddle was done 2 months ago, teeth were done last month and so was physio so I'm pretty sure it's not a physical thing.

Was hoping it was a baby thing that would improve with time.
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Sounds as if he just doesn't like schooling then. There's lots of horses that are lazy in the school but fine out XC and hacking.
 
I know what the OP means, "green" rather than baby! A baby horse gets tired due to jelly wibbly wobbly weak bodies, but a 10 yr old who has just started work will be shattered through thinking, mental fatigue is as bad as physical. I am sure it's just this, but you also need to train your horse to listen to you and be obedient ie not lazy, so train your green horse to go off a slight squeeze, it will help x
 
I've explained my reasons for calling him a youngster, if you have got nothing constructive to say then I would rather you didn't post!!

Kerrieberry2 he was used at a stud and then the stud went bust so he was gelded and sold as far as I know. Girl at my yard brought him, then decided after 9 months that he needed to much wrk and she wanted to concentrate on her career and gave him to me.

I can deal with the laziness on the flat but when your jumping its really hard to keep him going afterwards. He just stops dead!! Got our first lesson Wednesday though so hopefully my instructor can shed some light
 
You don't mention how much work he's currently in? For example, what do you do with him on a weekly basis and for how long each session?
 
Devonshire dumling, thank you for that. He is responsive in the way that when you ask something he does it straight away but it's maintaining it. I don't use a whip as this really stresses him out even just holding it otherwise i would use this to back up my leg.

He is much better on the flat now so hopefully that will come in the jumping too.
 
Flying circus he gets ridden about 6 days a week. I try to mix it up so he never does the same thing twice in a row except for maybe hacking.

Never ride him for more than half hour in the school and out hacking its usually about an hour maybe and hour and half. Lunging about 20 mins
 
sorry, another question, what breed is he?

oh and was he this lazy when you first backed him? or is it something that he's started over the last few weeks/months?

it might be his way of trying to get out of work? he must have been so used to being out in the field having fun with his lady friends and now at his age hes being taught to do something different, must be hard for me!

Hope your instructor can help! maybe have a word with the vet when they are out next but sure hes prob just trying it on, as you've said he's had all the checks done!

Boys ay!!!
 
My friend had a mild panic the other day when her heavyweight cob became extremely sluggish whilst hacking which she usually loves, it turned out that the poor thing was just uber toasty warm with the mad heat we've been having recently and she just couldn't bring herself to work as willingly as she usually did! :o
I suggested she hack out a little earlier or later in the day when it was a bit cooler and so far so good she's back to her normal happy self :)
 
How long has he been in work and did he spend the first few weeks in walk and trot building up his fitness or did he straight into the school doing jumping and schooling
As he is older and probably never has had any base fitness in his life you need to take things really slow
 
He has always been pretty laid back, it's nothing really out of the ordinary. Think I just notice it more now we are doin more if that makes sense, especially with the jumping.

Not sure heat is the issue as he seems the same whatever time I ride. He is quite consistent with his laziness :)

Just thought it might improve with more experience and fitness but I'm still waiting lol
 
It does sound like he might be taking the piss a little bit
What do you do when he stops?
After a jump id make sure to keep my leg on a lot, it could be your not doing much after the jump has been jumped so he thinks its ok to stop,
if he does try and stop even with lots of leg a tap of the whip on the shoulder to remind him to wake up should help
 
I do have a habit of being a bit lazy after the jump too so this obviously isn't helping matters but even when I do keep my leg on he stops and then shoots off again. I'm trying to be more consistent in my aids. He has only been jumping a few weeks so maybe my instructor will be able to see more from the ground.

I can't use a whip as even holding it he just throws his head in the air and runs and even after you have dropped it, it takes him a few minutes to settle again.
 
Just Google epsm and see if that rings any bells. Mine is tons better without hard food. It stands for equine poly sacharid myopathy . Please excuse spelling. Or pssm I think is another term for it.
 
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