Lazy youngster

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skewbald86

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I went to try a horse today, five year old mare, pure id.
She'd been out of work for 6months due to owners health and sent to a schooling yard for the last 7 weeks.
Lovely looking mare, sweet enough tacking up and on the ground. She had a standing martingale on, asked them why, was told as they wanted to get her head in and they've been using draw reins on her, :rolleyes: they said they would take it off if I wanted so I said yes- disagree with their ways on this obviously.
They rode her for about 10 mins, she looked quiet nothing special.
Then I had a ride on her. I'm used to bringing horses on. But I've never ridden a youngster that is not forward, has to be kicked along and I needed a stick too. She napped slightly at the gate and we had minor disagreements as she liked to cut her corners away from home.
Whenever I've had a youngster I've had the opposite, very forward, responsive to leg, no being able to carry a crop, let alone having to give a wallop every lap.
I've said I'll have a think about her to the seller, as she seems quiet and genuine (what I'm looking for). But not forward thinking.
Is this something that can be improved with over time? Ive always had to calm youngsters down, so I'm just worried if she's this dead to the leg and whip at five will this improve as I have no experience of a horse that rides like this at this age?
Also concerned about the napping at the gate, she didn't stop dead but slowed down so had to give her a kick and smack to keep her going.
If you squeeze there's no reaction at all, I'm used to just using my seat and a slight squeeze to get horses to go so I was shattered after 15 mins of getting her going.
Also she had her ears back most of the time (so would I if I'm being kicked along all the time!) I do like a horse to enjoy they're job also so this put me off.
Any advice if she can be made into a forward horse that's off the leg? As even with all these negatives for some reason I'm still drawn to her.
 
skewbald86 said:
She had a standing martingale on, asked them why, was told as they wanted to get her head in and they've been using draw reins on her,
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They did WHAT :eek: Poor horse - she's probably been miserable and uncomfortable the whole time she's been ridden.

Can't really advise as I don't have the experience, but I'd want to rescue her and teach her what life's like when someone doesn't strap your nose to your chest and bully you all the time. :mad:

Paula
 
If you like her go back again, take her out in a field and for a ride down the lanes and see how she is, it may be that she has just been tied down and cannot go forward, not good from a pro schooling yard, getting out and about may help.
I would not buy from the viewing you had today.
 
I'm not suprised she doesn't go forward if they've been holding the front end in!! Poor thing!!
If she has a good temperament then I see no reason why you can't change her way of thinking, there'll be some work involved though, you'll need to re-train her to understand that leg = forwards but with time patience and a bucket load of praise for every willing forward step it could be done. :-)
 
Agree with Paula. At that age she will still be immature and having her head strapped down has most likely made her sour about the whole riding experience, hence not thinking nor wanting to go forward.

I would think with a lot if hacking, relaxed riding, she will come round and have a much more enthusiastic attitude to being ridden, then you can work on schooling etc.. Once her frame of mind has been converted! She's sounds like a nice genuine mare, just backward thinking due to the owners 'idea' of schooling

Immy x
 
You can easily sharpen them up to the leg. If she has been out of work for a while she may need her strength improved. The napping does not seem too bad and is something I would expect from a youngster. If you are looking for quiet and she is then attitude is what I would look for. You can work through the rest.
 
if she has been roughly treated she may have been very nervous having a strange rider on her, scared to do something wrong and one which had a stick, you may not use it, but they may. poor thing.
 
I did ask was she like this before draw reins and they said yes. (this is the yard not the owner) the owner just used to hack from what I understand and never had a problem with her being lazy.
Also she's a big girl and weak so was hard work to keep going and holding her together.
I am going for a second viewing and going to hack her out. I'm hoping she'll perk up a bit then.
 
HBM1 said:
if she has been roughly treated she may have been very nervous having a strange rider on her, scared to do something wrong and one which had a stick, you may not use it, but they may. poor thing.
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I wouldn't say she's been roughly treated, yes I don't agree with the standing martingale and draw reins but she deffinately wasnt nervous, the opposite.
She was trying me out to begin with, trying to cut her corners but that improved after a few times round, don't mind that I expected it.
How I would describe ridding her is a riding school horse. She did improve after a canter and was a bit more forward, but still hard work.
 
She sounds as if she has had no schooling and doesn't know what the aides are - maybe just broken in hacked and turned away - it would be no problem getting her off the leg with the right schooling - totally agree with not using standing martingale or draw reins, just awful, poor girl . An ID at five is still a baby - she does sound nice - good idea to go back for another view to hack out - the napping sounds half hearted as well so would be easy to work through - You have good instincts - help is aways at hand if you need it.
 
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