Lacklustre competition horse - advice please!

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muffinthemule

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Can anyone help....I have a lovely 6y.o. 16hh gelding who is lovely in every way except for the fact he doesn't/can't gallop! I've got him fit - interval work etc and taken him to ODE's and he gets zillions of time penalties XC after great DR/SJ scores. He doesn't feel like he tires, more like he just never gets going!
Working in the school at home he is pretty good and I can get him "pumped up" using lateral work/collection etc, same with show jumping. Across country he enjoys the jumps and pricks his ears for them but the runs in between its like he's just not interested.
I'm so non-plussed! Has anyone else experienced this?
Getting vet to blood-test and scope him next week to see nothing is up (probably at great expense -ouch!). If these come back with nothing to show, should I admit defeat and that I don't have an event horse??
Sob!!
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Tricky one. How many events have you done with him? I ask as it took a few events for my warmblood to get the time as he wasn't a pure galloper either - some days he would be, some days he wouldn't. I also made sure I cut as many corners as possible and didn't take many pulls. We could manage the time at pre-novice eventually, usually by the skin of our teeth!

Seems a shame to give up if his dressage and jumping are good.

Does his blood get up if he canters upsides somebody?
 
Take him hunting and out on the gallops with some pointers! Sounds like he needs to be taught how to gallop.
I have a feeling my youngster will need the same at some stage!!!
 
I've done 2 intros with him, one of which I was leading after the SJ then dropped to 16th. Gutted much?!?!?!
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Also done a handful of unaff ODE's.
He will pull a bit if you canter him upsides another horse but as soon as other one pulls up we try to stop too!
 
I think you need to change your user name from Muffinthemule to Speedygonzales - that'll work.
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Don't give up yet though as he sounds very promising.

I think I may have the same problem with the horse I currently have on loan - he's a TB too but not a natural galloper. He is getting much better though and getting the idea but not yet put into practise to see if we get the time.

I would concentrate for the moment of getting a nice rythmn up, don't set up too much for the jumps (obviously be safe though) and kick away from the fence immediately.
 
Take him round a pairs XC to get his blood up a bit. Is he quick off your leg? If not, work on that too!! It took mine a year of eventing and lots of playing to learn to gallop
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Thank you all. Sounds as though I just need to get him out with some others and have a bit of fun! First event not for 7 weeks so lots of time to learn to love it.
Am I wasting my money getting him scoped/blood tested do you think??
 
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