Keeping a lazy horse interested in his flat work

[kittyb]

So my boy is struggling with spending much time working on his flat work, he seems to get bored and then he starts acting up. He'll go backwards, sideways, pretend to trip and stop every 5-10mins to poo all to get out of his work. Not to mention the dirty looks and endless sighs he gives me after 5 minutes schooling.

The usual obedience style work (lots of decreasing circles, lots of transitioning between gaits etc etc) helps him concentrate a little but when he's in a bit of a mood even that doesn't help much. As an ex-hunter he's not done much flat work before and whilst he is learning quickly despite the moods its just no fun for him.

I am quite strict with him and don't let him get away with much but I want to make his flat work more entertaining/interesting for him rather than just having to tell him off all the time. Any ideas?

The kind of thing he does enjoy is jumping, trotting poles, hacking out and also generally anything that involves spending time out and about with other horses.

 

[lamlyn2012]

I've been doing work with poles set out in the centre of menage. It's hard to explain but you set them out in a sort of box format and with a couple on the diagonal. You can put some on jump stands but low enough that you can just walk over them or raise them slightly to trot over. Sorry its a crap explanation and I don't have photo but you might be able to glean something from it. The idea is you can take different routes through at walk and trot and halting between poles. Gets them bending and listening. My horse is a bit school lazy but loves this. Canter poles 12 strides apart are fun too and you can lengthen and shorten stride. Sorry I haven't explained too well but hope it might help a bit.

 

[AmyMay]

Sighing is a good sign.

But remember, you dont need to work in the school to improve flatwork.

Do it on a hack, in the field, anywhere but a school.

 

[JillA]

Make sure he knows when he has got it right. Lots of horses will go to the ends of the earth for that pat, "good boy", bit of enthusiasm - mine does nothing but schoolwork due to a leg problem and I can keep him motivated by doing that. And make sure when you are teaching him something that your release timing is good - there is nothing more demoralising than trying your best and getting no release, never mind reward, for an attempt at what you think is being asked of you.

 

[Brummyrat]

Agree with all these suggestions and would definitely second poles on the ground. My boy was a bit half hearted last night, thought we'd be there all night trying to get a forward canter so I put two canter poles on the ground, went over about three times and he turned into a different horse! Then did about 10 mins of decent schooling, I made a big fuss of him and finished. We had a good session, neither of us was demoralised and both came out smiling

 

[cheeryplatypus]

Sighing is a good sign.

But remember, you dont need to work in the school to improve flatwork.

Do it on a hack, in the field, anywhere but a school.

Agree sighing is a good sign and means things are going well. The best reward is to leave him alone so make sure you give him breaks so he gets a chance to think about what he is doing. Stop, give him the reins and be still for a few moments until he yawns or chews, then pick him up again. Lots of transitions are good as well. Work over poles as you have been but not constantly. Teach him something new or learn a dressage test so you have some focus.
Put some music on! Just make it fun and have a dance with him

 

[AdorableAlice]

amymay is spot on. Some horses hate the school. My most recent purchase actually had the fact she would not go in the school on her advert !

Obviously I tried her in the school and sure enough it was ears back, inverted outline, make me and lots of no, can't and won't. She was a good stamp and all was fixable so home she came.

We did lots of hacking and whilst hacking did umpteen halts and transitions until she finally dropped her head and went forwards, then lateral work was added and then we took her off road and into fields to start circles, loops etc. The horse worked without realising she was working. Once she realised she was not going to be pushed or dominated (which she hates) she started to enjoy herself and offer to work nicely. After a few months we took her into the school and she was fine. We are still careful not to 'drill' her and there is still a way to go before she is the finished article and she is still schooled whilst out hacking. Interestingly, the horse had been ridden with a whip and spurs to make her 'go'. She was totally dead to both. We used neither and taught her to listen to the leg rather than sit on it. The transformation was astonishing and now she is quick, forward and light to the aid. She is an heavyweight maxi cob so lightness is crucial for her to be a nice ride.

The fact the OP's horse has been a hunter means he has led an 'exciting' life, possibly had years of towing himself along in the forehand, he will find school work difficult both mentally and physically. He will respond to schooling but you will need to think 'outside the box' to achieve it.

 

[suffolkmare]

Another advocate of poles, as have been doing lots lately. One exercise is to place 2 poles as an arrow/chevron with the point on the centre line at x, 2 further chevrons nearer A & C, and use these to aid straightness down centre line in walk or trot, straightness over both parts of the chevron, link to next with a curve (hard to explain, come off outside track to go straight over one pole of first chevron, bend round to go straight over one pole of next, etc, err hope you follow!). I've also been using a square to go in and out of or round the outside and turn-on-forehand at each corner. You can play with different "formations" to vary things! Good luck

 

[kittyb]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys.

I tried a few of the pole based exercises in the school this morning, implementing them into some flat work exercises rather than having them as a separate fun activity and that seemed to help - he found the chevron ones quite hard work but that actually seemed to help him focus so will definitely be doing that again

Cheeryplatypus - he loves music and I often sing to him out hacking so I'll also take to playing some music when we are in the school and singing along there too! He's a real music lover actually - he often has the radio playing in the yard during the day and it perks him up when he's in a mood

 

[humblepie]

Quality over quantity as I told mine this morning! How about using the hack as a warm up and then just go in the school for 10 - 15 minutes with a master plan of what you want to achieve in that session. Flies were horrid this morning so I just schooled for about 15 minutes but worked on transitions on a straight line and also set up some poles to work in and out of at canter. I think really plan your sessions to get the most out of them and however daft I seems if it is a good 10 minutes in which you have achieved the goal, then fie. Big pat and end of session. It may be that he finds it hard work if he is building up muscle and that short and sweet will help with that

 

[pip6]

Lovely stables Kittyb!

Ditto above. Can you also think about sometimes hiring somewhere else? change in scenary may make life more interesting. A strange scool more interesting than a familliar one. Also after he has done something well, reward him with some fun or relaxation. totally agree re quality/quantity.

 

[Wheels]

You could be describing one of mine

We are making progress by introducing new stuff and trying not to get stuck doing the same thing over and over. 2 or 3 of repeated transitions then move onto something else. We do use poles too, anything to stop the inevitable boredom shut down

I school once a week only for now and hack the rest. We also usually have a session if in hand work or loose schooling

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Do most of your schooling on hacks. He will learn to be responsive no matter what the distraction, far better imo than endless exercises in an arena on an artificial surface.
He's probably not so much lazy, as bored.

 

[AmyMay]

Do most of your schooling on hacks. He will learn to be responsive no matter what the distraction, far better imo than endless exercises in an arena on an artificial surface.
He's probably not so much lazy, as bored.

**Like**

 

[kittyb]

Do most of your schooling on hacks. He will learn to be responsive no matter what the distraction, far better imo than endless exercises in an arena on an artificial surface.
He's probably not so much lazy, as bored.

You're probably right. There are 3 different schools we use as well as hacking and he is always at his most shut down when we are in the indoor school. He's always so much more alert when we are out and about

 

[JillA]

Quality over quantity as I told mine this morning! How about using the hack as a warm up and then just go in the school for 10 - 15 minutes with a master plan of what you want to achieve in that session. Flies were horrid this morning so I just schooled for about 15 minutes but worked on transitions on a straight line and also set up some poles to work in and out of at canter. I think really plan your sessions to get the most out of them and however daft I seems if it is a good 10 minutes in which you have achieved the goal, then fie. Big pat and end of session. It may be that he finds it hard work if he is building up muscle and that short and sweet will help with that

Or let the hack be his reward for doing a good job in the school? Work on something specific, as humblepie says, then when he has done a good whatever it is, head off for a hack. We taught a little mare to be enthusiastic about her jumping like that years go

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Or let the hack be his reward for doing a good job in the school? Work on something specific, as humblepie says, then when he has done a good whatever it is, head off for a hack. We taught a little mare to be enthusiastic about her jumping like that years go

As matter of interest, how is the horse supposed to know that the hack is a reward for the work done in the school? Rather than just having to endure schoolwork before he can go on the hack? What happens if the horse doesn't 'do a good job in the school', does he not get to go on a hack? Do you put him back in the field? In the stable? Or do yet more drilling in the school?
Just do the schooling on the hack!