New horse becoming more and more lazy

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CharlesMax

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Hoping to get some tips/strategies on here:

I bought a new horse 3 weeks ago. He was very forward going when I tried him and when he first arrived at my yard. I wanted a forward going/keen horse so all good at the beginning!

I spent 2 weeks, settling him in and trying to steady him when schooling him as everything was rushed and too sensitive off the leg. Going into week three, he has suddenly become too chilled out and not responding to my leg with me having to kick constantly to get anything out of him - I feel like I am beginning to nag which is counter-productive.

I tried using a schooling whip which ended up with an electrically charged horse on speed so had to drop it. I tried a jumping whip the next day which got the same reaction so had to drop that idea as well.

The last two days have been very frustrating - I have gone into the school very positive, concentrating on my position but just end up shattered trying to push him on.

He is a lot more keen when hacking and jumping. Flatwork is new to him and I don't think he really enjoys it but thats tough!

Perhaps he is just too happy and chilled to bother working in his new environment! I just don't understand how a horse can change from almost too strong to being so placid within 3 weeks. I don't like using spurs but do you think I should try them?

I am going to be working with an excellent instructor soon but in the meantime, do any of you have any strategies I could use until then?

Back, teeth, tack checked and just flew through a 5 stage vetting. Also eating exactly wehat he was on with previous owners and VERY happy at new yard with same turn-out routine.

Tips and advice much appreciated!
 
His food is the same, apparently. He is on pasture mix so I am considerig putting him on competition mix to see if that helps with his ebergy levels. He yawns alot so don't know if that means anything!!

His routine is similar to what previous owners described. He is also very calm and settled.
 
Have you experimented with the contact? I thought my horse was being lazy and that I was riding with a light contact until i changed my instructor and found out that I wasn't :D A few very subtle changes with my contact and I now have a much more forward and happy horse. Mine was only like this in the school too.
 
WandaMare said:
Have you experimented with the contact? I thought my horse was being lazy and that I was riding with a light contact until i changed my instructor and found out that I wasn't :D A few very subtle changes with my contact and I now have a much more forward and happy horse. Mine was only like this in the school too.
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Interesting - how did you change the contact? from what to what? I start with a loose contact as he is a big boy and needs time to soften so its not even like I am rushing him or forcing him to do anything too strenuous too soon. I am positive though, from the start.
 
What have you been doing with him? If you have only been schooling him then maybe he is bored.

Have you been nagging him with your legs? Tack changed? Is he lame?

Is he lazy when someone else rides?

It could be a million different things
 
His exercise has been varied - hacking, schooling, jumping, including XC schooling with rest days in between so not bored.

He is definitely not lame. I'll admit that I have recently started nagging with legs but only since his energy/enthisiasm has dwindled. His bit has changed from a waterford (used by previous owners as he was too strong for them) to a snaffle but I made that change from day 1.
 
If you can't use a whip, then have you tried squeezing gently and then if no response one pony club kick? May not look pretty but will teach him to listen to you.

Have you tried giving him a few days off? Is he better after that? Maybe he isn't fit enough

Is he lazy for other people? What is he like out hacking?
 
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Did you buy him from a long term home or a dealer/ sales yard? If the latter he may have been set up to sell this would explain why he has settled, become relaxed and possibly why he is whip shy. If from a long term home it may be that the rider revved him up by carrying the whip, he became too sensitive and again he has just relaxed back to what he really is, a laid back type.
I would work on getting him to accept you carrying a very short stick, you may need to at some point, so start by just holding it on him while you are on the ground, then carry it, if you hold it midway he will hardly notice it. Otherwise loads of transitions to get him in front of the leg again keep things interesting, plenty of polework if he likes that.

A change of yard can mean new bugs cause a slight virus to develop do not rule out him feeling a bit under par for a while.
 
He is not very fit but I stopped when I felt him getting tired in previous schooling sessions before his recent lack of enthusiasm over the past week.

I have been giving him 2 days off a week on average and schooling him 2/3 days a week. Other 2/3 days hacking/jumping.
 
Yes, I agree that a good instructor is the way forward. Weekly lessons booked fro this weekend so hopefully that will woirk. Just feeling frustrated so thought I would see if I couild get some tips to consider before the lessons.
 
CharlesMax said:
He is not very fit but I stopped when I felt him getting tired in previous schooling sessions before his recent lack of enthusiasm over the past week.

I have been giving him 2 days off a week on average and schooling him 2/3 days a week. Other 2/3 days hacking/jumping.
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And there is your answer. Don't do so much. Pull it all back.

1 day in the week schooling, the rest of the time constructive hacking to build up his fitness.
 
I think its just a schooling (possibly rider issue). So basically you need to get him off your leg. I would suggest that if you ask him to go forward and if he doesn't respond or respect the aid, then boot him hard!?! (not very technical terminology I know), and allow/expect him to leap forward, break into canter etc. Don't hold onto his mouth just go with it. Then pat him, praise the forward response and go back to your original pace. The next time you ask for him to go forward in a normal manner, either he'll have learned the lesson and be sharper of your aid, or you do the same thing again - until he learns that he should respond to your leg.

I hope that makes sense!
 
boxcarhorse said:
I think its just a schooling (possibly rider issue). So basically you need to get him off your leg. I would suggest that if you ask him to go forward and if he doesn't respond or respect the aid, then boot him hard!?! (not very technical terminology I know), and allow/expect him to leap forward, break into canter etc. Don't hold onto his mouth just go with it. Then pat him, praise the forward response and go back to your original pace. The next time you ask for him to go forward in a normal manner, either he'll have learned the lesson and be sharper of your aid, or you do the same thing again - until he learns that he should respond to your leg.

I hope that makes sense!
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Thanks for this - what about spurs? wanted to use them as a last resort BUT seeing how he reacted to the whip, I am sure he will react to spurs BIG TIME!

AmyMay, I agree that his fitness needs to build but I am not asking too much of him in the school - just simple transitions which he is not responding to. I will, however, hack more to build fitness.
 
I had the same. I blamed the Horse too :o I got a RI to give me a lesson, she watched me for 5 minutes and then pulled my position apart, after I had corrected myself, we worked on using my body to push her on and slow her down, lots of transitions and praise when she went forward. My position before was blocking her moving forward. She's now very off the leg.

Get a RI in to watch you ride, before you resort to spurs and whips. It could be something so simple. You are new too eachother and you need to learn what buttons to push. Give it time and have a lesson :) once you "click" there will be no stopping you! Good luck
 
The thing is, when you read back what you're writing, it does sound like you may be giving your horse confused messages.

You want him to react, but not react too much (ref. whip/spurs)!?! I think you need to keep it simple in the school at the moment, go back to real basics. Praise reaction/forwardness, and 'punish' (in the broadest sense) lack of response/ignoring the aids.

You could try spurs, just small, blunt ones. But you might find that once he gets used to them, he just ignores them like he's ignoring your leg now.
 
How about schooling him only on hacks for 6 weeks or so.

Then he would a) get fitter and b) be more used to the schooling exercises. Then you could start schooling actually in the school again.
 
Completely agree with Amymay... Sounds like he is getting stale to the schooling, up the hacking, school on hacks and drop down to one schooling session a week or two, with one of them being a small hack out to warm up then 10 mins schooling.
 
boxcarhorse said:
The thing is, when you read back what you're writing, it does sound like you may be giving your horse confused messages.

You want him to react, but not react too much (ref. whip/spurs)!?!
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I agree with what boxcarhorse says, as you say that he reacts too much to a whip. I would probably start the warm up doing some fast work, walk to canter, trot to halt, that sort of stuff. This usually gets them going as they have to think about what they're doing. Make it fun, transitions, circles, spiral in and out, change the tempo constantly and you should hopefully find that the horse is enjoying it.
 
some great tips and advice thanks! I disagree with one schooling session a week when schooling is something that needs to be worked on, although I am happy to admit that I couild be riding incorrectly which the lessons will sort out in time.
 
CharlesMax said:
some great tips and advice thanks! I disagree with one schooling session a week when schooling is something that needs to be worked on, although I am happy to admit that I couild be riding incorrectly which the lessons will sort out in time.
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No one has said do one schooling session a week, they have said only go in the school once a week maybe. You can still school on hacks! :)
 
CharlesMax said:
some great tips and advice thanks! I disagree with one schooling session a week when schooling is something that needs to be worked on, although I am happy to admit that I couild be riding incorrectly which the lessons will sort out in time.
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No one has said don't school the horse - just do it in a different environment.

You'd be amazed what you can do by simply hacking out.
 
CobsGalore said:
No one has said do one schooling session a week, they have said only go in the school once a week maybe. You can still school on hacks! :)
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OK, misunderstood - thanks. Will def try hacking-schooling more to vary his surroundings.

WOW, lots to consider. I am just so determined to get things right and shouls also relax a bit and have fun with the new boy!
 
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