Lazy Youngster

Baileysno1

Baileysno1

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Hello wondered if anyone had experience with young lazy horses? Ryu is 5 and I've had him 11 months he is czech warmblood and great in most ways, unflappable hack alone or with others promising flatwork and we've jumped a bit for fun.

However..... he is soooo lazy! He is like a four legged mulitgym to ride I get exhausted. We have regular lessons and he works great in the lessons mainly because my instructor chases him with a crack whip but I wondered if anyone had any techniques or magic potions they've used on their horses? Could it just be his age or breeding? Any advice welcome.
 
Forget the Czech bit, you've got yourself a Cleveland Bay
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- or at least related to mine - when you crack the secret please let me know - mine is on oats, hard feed, oil, adlib haylage and is still a complete donkey - I am having a physio session for her next week - in the vain hope this might free some energy up - also planning to hunt her soon.

Sorry no suggestions as I am in the same boat!

Forgot to add mine is 6, her full sister who was 7 had 10 times more go in her
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I feed him half a scoop spillers quick release mix, top spec balancer and a couple of handfulls of hi-fi, he grazes in the day and has two enormous hay nets each night. Been thinking about oats and possibly haylage both sent my other horse bonkers but getting desperate now.

Hunting would be a possibility I'm scared though! Something I haven't done and much preffer posing in the show ring and dressage arena! Dam lazy horse
 
My lad is really laid back to the point of being lazy - I've tried every feed on the market, every supplement and nothing works.

Had a long chat with the vet about it nd he said nothing will 'change' a horses personality only 'help' it.

He suggested getting my lad silly fit - was working him twice a day 45mins-1hr a time and it worked. This was a few years ago.

Recently, a friends horse broke it's pedal bone and obviously was on box rest, she had just opened a bag of D+H performance concentrate and gave it to me (only other horse on yard that may need it) rather than waste it. I added about 1/4 round scoop to his normal meal of 1scoop D+H Staypower Muesli and 1 scoop alfa oil - blew his brains! I was having to do 15 mins canter warming up to get any sense out of him on the flat!
 
sounds like I'll have to knuckle down to some hard work! Its such as shame as when he goes he goes really well, but at least it gives me hope that he has got something in him. At the moment cantering for 15 minutes sounds like heaven, we can just about muster a lap of the school before dying.
 
I just wonder whether some horses find it really boring in the school and just switch off...mine certainly does! I have had many a lesson and many an instructor chase us round cracking a whip...yes it works for a while but not forever! I even had a lady ride my boy who has megga strong legs so when she asked for go...he went! That really worked and for a bit he was more responsive to the leg...but it is me who rides him at the end of the day, so it has to be me he responds to!
So I realised that the school work was not going anywhere and just started doing fun things instead...took him to a few endurance rides to spark him up a bit and he loves them! So I have ditched the lessons (tut tut!) and now do our schooling out hacking instead...I get more from him because he does not realise he is doing it!!! LOL!
When I feel him getting a bit more hard work...I resport to 5 strides trot, 5 walk, 5 trot, 5 walk and up it...20 mins of that soon gets him going off the leg again!
Good luck as it seems to be a common problem...but I am all for transitions and loads of them and adding a bit of spark into their activities too.
 
thank you for the advice, we are looking forward to a fun winter lots of hacking, jumping maybe hunting (eeeek) and doing less in the school. A lady at the riding club rallies says she had a 5 year old who was 'goofy' like mine and said when he turns six he'll be a different horse fingers crossed
 
Have you tried Spillers slow release energy mix? It is the same amount of energy just released into his system over a longer period of time so better for young horses needing more stamina.

Also, half a scoop of mix is only 500g. I don't know how big your boy is but an average 16hh/500kg horse would need about 3kg's per day of mix so maybe he isn't getting enough?

I have one of mine on slow release all the time and then ad a bit of instant energy if I am hunting or competing for a bit of sparkle.

Unfortunately I don't think there is a quick fix or magic potion - if there is I'd like to know! Maybe you could ring the care line 01908 226626 and see what they say?
 
My boy is the same, and is on Alfa oil, spillers slow release, and Propell plus. He looks and feels really well on this, and has certainly perked him up. Propell can act as a bit of a pick me up, and really does give them a boost if need be.
 
Main thing is to keep them amused when riding - my 4yo begins shutting down when he's bored or if he's getting tired so I keep sessions short and sweet!

Otherwise, make sure he's getting all his usual vits & mins, maybe try a high energy competition mix/cube to see if that helps? If you really want loads of energy, try something like Micro Feed or racehorse cubes etc.!!
 
Your half a scoop sounds very little to me, but then I don't know how big your scoop is! We have changed our feeding techniques this year as both the black stallion and the dutch gelding are quite idle. Normally we are trying every type of calming feed going, so this is very different. We have ours on ad lib haylage and competition mix, but if your scoop is a round one like ours they get one and a half scoops twice a day...both are middle weights around 16.1hh. They are also on Topspec balancer and speedibeet.
It's definitely made a difference to their energy levels, so now we will slowly cut down that amount until we reach the energy we need.
 
Just a thought,but is the Quick Release feed really what you want to be feeding him?I know you say he's lazy....but if he's eating all that hay his tummy is going to be very full,and the effects of the Quick Release potentially wasted.

Just a thought
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Bethxx
 
Don't worry your not alone!!!

I have had my 5 year old for 3 years, and since he was broken in he's been lazy on and off. (more on than off). What you need to take into account is even though your horse is 5 years old he's got about 18months to 2 years growing still to do, both mentally and physically.

My horse when i brought him at 2 years old was 15HH he's now 16.3HH and thats alot to grow and plus they have to learn what we're trying teach them.

I would recommend:
That everything your do reward your horse with something he likes or do something interesting, to keep his mind occupied.

Taking him hunting or do a small pairs cross country

maye get a physio to check him out (this help my boy, with all the growing his muscels were tight around his backend after all the growing)

Talk to you farrier- they can always help (he might not be lazy just not confident walking with the shoes he has on)

Donson and Horrell offer feeding advice, sometimes they'll visit you, i think most feed supplies offer this.

hope this helps
 
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