Sluggish on hacks

dwi

dwi

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Not a problem that many people face I know but Daisy is really sluggish out hacking and its getting worse. Out on her own I don't mind but when she's in company I'm constantly having to trot to catch up which seems silly when she 15.2 and we're hacking with a pony. She's fine in trot or canter, just walks at the pace of a snail. Any tips?
 
I have this problem when leaving the yard but not on the journey back. I know what you mean - I have often been overtaken by 11.2 ponies on the 17.2 beast of a sloth. It's embarassing
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the only thing i would say is give her a smack, as long as its just laziness and no other reason.

just a short sharp one after yiou have asked with your legs, and as Owlie says carry a schooling whip.

I know how infuriating it is as my old boy is like it but i let him be at his own pace as he is very stiff
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I have the same problem sometimes..I find when we're in company though shes quite sluggish and they all end up tripping over each others hooves theyre wombling so much! but on our own sometimes she'l bomb about! I end up absoloutely knackered from getting her moving properly...
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Remember that walk is actually much harder work than trot or canter so she's probably being a bit lazy! My ponio is supposed to be doing half an hour of brisk walking a day to help him lose weight - it has been such hard work because he tries to evade working hard by trotting because it's easier! I've just had to keep on and on at him, and he's finally decided it might be easier to walk a bit faster than to have me nagging at him constantly!!
 
H is the same, the only way I get round it is to be in front when walking, otherwise I am constantly nagging him which I dont like doing, he just has a slow walk.
 
My mare can be a bit ploddy on her own, I took a whip this morning and just a small tap when she ignored my legs made such a difference. Also do you always go the same way, as I find if I take her somewhere new she is so much more awake.
 
Has she always been like that? What age is she? i found my horse could get lethargic at certain times of year. Many years ago we had blood tests carried out and he was slightly anaemic. I now supplement him with kossolian blood salts in his feed and he is much better and has much more energy. i also feed him quite a lot of high energy feed! I think his heavy legs tire him out!
 
She's always been like that although she seemed particularly bad today. She's 11 and was hacking with two 22yr olds so no excuse there. I'm sure she'd love some high energy feed but unfortunately she is overweight despite my best efforts with restricted grazing a muzzle and being ridden 5 - 6 days a week. I live in hope that if I ever get the weight off her she might be more energetic but thats a big "if" I've had her nearly two years and while she's managed to lose some weight I can't get rid of the huge grass belly
 
My boy is quite sluggish when in company and we are doing a familiar route. He wakes up a bit when we go somewhere different - not always possible I know , but try to vary your routes as mush as possible and try putting her in the lead.
 
I would probably be tempted, rather than going straight down the spurs / whip approach, to do some work in the school so that she is more responsive off your leg. I have found with similar horses before that if you spend a little time making them more responsive off the leg is really beneficial. Even if it is just halt walk halt, then doing a slower walk and faster walk in the school. You can carry on doing these exercises out on the road. Just get her used to the fact that she has to walk on, on her own without you having to niggle at her to make her go quicker!
 
Thanks for the tips, I'm going to take her round the farm tomorrow so that we can play with speed on a hack in an enclosed environment.

To people who said do we always do the same route no not at all, the route that we did today I haven't done for several months and have probably only done it about 4 times in total over the last 2 years. I really love the route and she enjoyed the gallops, just not excited for the rest of it
 
We have a 6 year old NF gelding who was like this when we first got him. Not helped by me being a novice. My wife has been there done it, T shirt, cap etc, so she first worked on me, then the boy.

We got him going a lot better by putting him on a lead rope with my wife on her NF mare, who walks out really well. Both H (the gelding) and I felt like right plonkers being led around a hack on a lead rope and it only took a couple of trips to really pick things up.

He is still slow to warm up, but he will now hold pace and walk alongside my wifes mare, which he used to fall further and further behind.

Also, putting him in front and allowing her to chivvy him on / bite his bum (the mare that is, not my wife) has helped and he will even leave her behind a little on occasions.

An occasional tap with a schooling whip will also wake him up, but is needed less and less since the lead rope lessons.
 
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