New horse becoming more and more lazy

There WW a very good book on schooling on hacks, with some rally helpful hints.

I can't remember what it was called, but keep an eye open if you're at a bookshop/ online.:)
 
He just sounds like he is doing as he is told. You spent two weeks slowing him down as he was too forward and now you are finding him too slow. Think you just got to get used to him.
 
and now's the time to admit that I have booked him in for a dressage test this weekend. He was going so well in the first two weeks so I decided to enter with a lesson booked the day before - the poor sod! :D
 
dieseldog said:
He just sounds like he is doing as he is told. You spent two weeks slowing him down as he was too forward and now you are finding him too slow. Think you just got to get used to him.
Click to expand...

I hope that is the case as he really calmed down, especially after changing to a much kinder bit!
 
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.
Click to expand...


But you are not going to get anything done in the schooling sessions if your horse isn't mentally up to it... You can quite easily school on hacks, then slowly start to transfer this into the school environment, a little bit more each week. If your horse is mentally shutting down and getting lazy in the school, he isn't going to learn anything. At the least, try and do your warm up as a hack, then you keep the time actually spent working in the school as a minimum...
 
Queenbee said:
But you are not going to get anything done in the schooling sessions if your horse isn't mentally up to it... You can quite easily school on hacks, then slowly start to transfer this into the school environment, a little bit more each week. If your horse is mentally shutting down and getting lazy in the school, he isn't going to learn anything. At the least, try and do your warm up as a hack, then you keep the time actually spent working in the school as a minimum...
Click to expand...

yes, seeing the point of you and other posters - makes sense.
 
My cob suddenly went very lazy and we discovered it was because she was foot sore as she didn't have hinds on. She has to have 4 shoes on now especially as we hack a fair bit. :)

Is your horse shod all round?
 
Nobody has picked up on the yawning.
Could that indicate something?

Perhaps he's not getting enough rest, new enviroment, not able to relax/sleep properly?

Don't we yawn when we haven't been breathing deeply enough, is it the same for horses?
What's the ventilation like in the school if it's an indoor school?
 
Aarrghimpossiblepony said:
Nobody has picked up on the yawning.
Could that indicate something?

Perhaps he's not getting enough rest, new enviroment, not able to relax/sleep properly?

Don't we yawn when we haven't been breathing deeply enough, is it the same for horses?
What's the ventilation like in the school if it's an indoor school?
Click to expand...

Ventilation seems fine when in work - our yard is extremely chilled out though - only 4 horses and much smaller than the yard he has come from.
 
Yawning is often a pain reaction in horses.
Op are you sure the sadldle fit
Training is about getting reaction to aids so if he was rushing from nervous energy you now have to train reaction to the aids .
I would first deal with the fact you can't carry a whip.
Carry a dressage whip in all your interactions with him leading him take in the stable when you groom him feed him human there whip is there catching him leave it by the gate and pick it up as you lead him through never use it .
When he's accepted it in handling carry it when riding never use it until the horse is completely relaxed about .
My TB disliked people carrying whips we went through this procedure his relationship with the whip is now completly normal.
 
CharlesMax said:
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.
Click to expand...

Could be the bit change! I have a 17h-er that we purchased in a pelham. He seemed easy enough so we put him into a snaffle, he thinks he doesnt have to work in it! So if I want to do anything more than a hack the pelham goes back in as he then realises he actually has to do something! :)
 
katiieking said:
Could be the bit change! I have a 17h-er that we purchased in a pelham. He seemed easy enough so we put him into a snaffle, he thinks he doesnt have to work in it! So if I want to do anything more than a hack the pelham goes back in as he then realises he actually has to do something! :)
Click to expand...

Pelhams can send some horses nuts because of the action, then of course they are trying to get away more, so then the bit is used more severely, and it becomes a vicious circle. The horse is uptight and worried the whole time, not pulling but wound up.

It can translate into feeling the horse "has more go". You used to see it with ponies a lot.
 
Goldenstar said:
Yawning is often a pain reaction in horses.
Op are you sure the sadldle fit
Training is about getting reaction to aids so if he was rushing from nervous energy you now have to train reaction to the aids .
I would first deal with the fact you can't carry a whip.
Carry a dressage whip in all your interactions with him leading him take in the stable when you groom him feed him human there whip is there catching him leave it by the gate and pick it up as you lead him through never use it .
When he's accepted it in handling carry it when riding never use it until the horse is completely relaxed about .
My TB disliked people carrying whips we went through this procedure his relationship with the whip is now completly normal.
Click to expand...

Great advice with using the whip as I was going to ask about that!
 
Aarrghimpossiblepony said:
Pelhams can send some horses nuts because of the action, then of course they are trying to get away more, so then the bit is used more severely, and it becomes a vicious circle. The horse is uptight and worried the whole time, not pulling but wound up.

It can translate into feeling the horse "has more go". You used to see it with ponies a lot.
Click to expand...

I completely understand your point, however with my own horse that's not the case, he doesn't have any more go than when in the snaffle, however he is much more responsive and listens. I also have very light hands and he is ridden in quite a long rein, a Pelham is only as rough as the hands that use it ;)

I understand you have a very valid point, but in my own case, I don't feel it is applicable!

My boy in his pelham; :)

478738_10150789862745689_691912760_o.jpg
 
Was he stabled at night when you got him , has he recently been turned out 24/7 there is 2 horses at my yard that get like this for a few weeks when they have just been turned out for summer.
They soon pick up again.
 
Same routine and brought in at night. I am going to try:
More feed
Positive riding with the guidance iof an instructor
VARIED exercise with lots of hacking
Gettign him used to a whip

and then reassess

thank all, knew I'd get good advice on here!
 
Lots of good advice I agree with, my boys gets immediately tence in the school (reasons before my ownership) so I do most of my schooling hacking include loads of transitions and transtions within trot (collected, medium etc.) and lateral movements.

One thing not mentioned is to leave a whip somewhere you can reach it in the school, start your session and when he stops listerning to the leg, pick up the whip, once he's listerning put it down again. My oldie would have disappeared into the next county if you'd touch him with a whip - but if you picked one up he paid 1000% attention, just carrying it made him listen if he wasn't in the mood.
 
If it were me, I'd not be upping calories. Simply because the grass is growing and there will be a natural increase in loopy juice already... I'd go with the other three, instructor, get him used to whip and variety for a couple of weeks then reasses if feed is needed x
 
CharlesMax said:
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.
Click to expand...

Its difficult to explain but I was also starting each session on a loose contact and previous instructor was getting me to concentrate on helping mare to lift her back and stretch, then I would gently pick up rein and ask her to work forwards into the contact. She would be reluctant to work forward even picking up the rein with a light contact. New instructor has advised me to encourage her to lift her neck slightly higher after the stretching, and work with shorter reins and still keep the light contact. For some reason this seems much easier for my mare and she feels much more flexible in her neck. Before my hands were too low and too far back, which was encouraging her to work with her neck too low. Its made so much difference and was only a small change.
 
If he is not used to schooling as you stated he may well be finding it tough and boring. As a few others have said you can school out hacking or perhaps take him into a flat field instead. Then you can work on his fitness.

We have 1 horse who was a dressage horse ( previous home) who became so stale with the school we only go in their once a week for straight flat work. If we can't hack or go in the field we place poles around the school so he thinks its jumping.;)
 
CharlesMax said:
Ventilation seems fine when in work - our yard is extremely chilled out though - only 4 horses and much smaller than the yard he has come from.
Click to expand...


Not sure if anyone else had picked up on this, but from experience I've found some horses are very sensitive to their environment. Perhaps as the yard is so laid back, he is also more relaxed and laid back. Sounds silly but you'd be surprised the difference in some horses character if they change to a very different yard environment. I find usually, the busier the yard environment and less relaxed horses seem to have a bit more excitement and 'go', especially if they are used to turning out individually and then go to being with a herd/friends in the field and go on regular fun trips with other more forward horses e.g group hacks etc. Where as when in a more relaxed environment with other laid back horses sometimes follow and also become slightly more laid back/lazy. Just an idea.
 
I think its a combination of a few things.

Horse is bored of too much schooling, and not fit enough, so finding it hard work as well as boring. Both the slowing down and zipping off when chased with a whip are evasions - my husband's gelding does the same, is hard to keep going sometimes, yet if you push him and chase him to work he goes OTT and is hard to stop. Either way he is often rewarded by people giving up... I always think for the first couple of weeks the horse is thrown a bit by the move, is asking you for guidance, and is often very obedient. After a couple of weeks the horse starts to test the boundaries a bit, and see what he does/doesn't have to do..

I would take the schooling in the school down a level or two, hack out, build up fitness, then see how you go on with your instructor. You'll get there, you are just rushing a bit perhaps?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top