Lazy Horse... then not so lazy.

[ShaunaL]

Ok, so where do i start..
My 5 y/o thoroughbred was trained for racing.. but never made it on to the tracks. & i bought him as a 4 year old. He was always quite tempermental, continually attempted to throw me off etc. However I had a number of physios done and discovered he had very sore shoulders. The problem has been sorted now, therefore until recently i hadnt taken him out to any shows etc..

We recently competed in Showjumping, it was Charlies first time out. We jumped in the 70 cms and we won! he was fantastic..

Then we have been to a number of 'Go as you please' crosscountrys and we are competing in crosscountry this week.
He is fab when he is out, he is fast. has rhythm and really enjoys what he is doing. And will jump absolutely everything as long as he is behind another horse. & it coming on well doing crosscountry by himself..

However when he is at home, in the arena.. he is really NOT forward going. hes lazy, doesnt want to do much. doesnt enjoy doing much until i challenge him with 'big' jumps. or i just put him behind another horse.

I know this normal for an ex-racer, but how do i get it out of him! He knows what hes been asked to do, he just doesnt want to.
I try different things, trotting poles, canter poles, flexing, leg yielding etc BUT nothing works,
What do i do to get him more forward going and to enjoy work?
HE LOVES BEING OUT!

 

[dressedkez]

You are not going to want to hear this....but my 13 year old TB is a nightmare out hacking - he does just not go forward, and we draw lots to ride him out as we all hate riding him so much. We have had him since he was 4 years....and has always been the same
BUT - he won 5 point-to-points for us.....(despite the fact that we could not school him over a fence at home) But he did know what the gallops were all about, and would work very well on them.
He lights up hunting and on pleasure rides - and all though we have not tried it - we think he would jump XC in the pairs behind another.....
We keep him because he really owes us nothing due to his racing exploits (giving us some fantastic days...) but also because when he does light up, he does it in a lovely way - hunting, everything can be galloping madly down hill out of control, and I am doing the loveliest collected canter.......And on the last fun ride I did with him, the first canter, he did a huge buck (for joy) that had me laughing so much, I nearly fell off him. But I have to say getting him fit with routine work for those days that he does enjoy is a killer - and I so wish I had a horse walker!! x

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

My 16 year old TB mare is the SAME and always has been. HATES schooling and HATES going to dressage shows BUT she LOVES showing (I do flat only), so go figure?!! She is also VERY forward and sharp out hacking. I just have to accept the fact that she hates it and try to keep it varied.

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

I've just realized something that maybe she loves showing, is because there are other horses in the ring with us and she's always trying to "get in front" of them which makes for some good forward paces, lol!

 

[marley and danni]

my TB is exactly the same at home hes slow wont work properly unless iv galloped him round first... only time hes forward is with bigger jumps.

out at a show hes super forward!

also out hacking hes very forward going also!

only way i wake him up at home in to gallop round the arena!