Spurs or not? Suggestions please! Sorry a bit long!

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GreyConnemara

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Hi everyone!
I've had my Connie around 18 months now, and he has always been sharp/spooky. Because of this, I used to ride him in a kimblewick, curb chain and martingale, but recently have swapped back to a french link snaffle and only a martingale when jumping, which he has been fine in.
However, now I am finding that he is very sluggish off the leg and sometimes doesn't even respond to a flick with a whip to the point where if he doesn't want to go, there's not much I can do about it but keep kicking, clicking with voice etc and he just plants himself, normally when looking at something.
I don't think this is a lack of energy, as he is quite happy to go for a good canter when hacking with others, but if he is on his own or with one other, this is when he is more spooky/less responsive.
He is fed Spillers cool mix (anything with more energy makes him very spooky/silly), back and teeth checked regularly, is ridden 3 or 4 times a week and does local shows in the summer showing, jumping and dressage.
His old owners used to ride him in spurs and competed to quite a high level in cross country, so I'm wondering if it's worth trying them? Your views please and any other suggestions very welcome!
 
MY gelding is used to being ridden in spurs (from a dressage competition home) so I have carried on wearing them as that is what he is used to and it means he does some work instead of me!! I do wear the Impuls training spurs (with the balck balls on) and they do the trick.
 
Have you had his tack checked? Checked where the bit lies in the mouth?? If the browband is tight ect.

If there is nothing wrong with him you could try putting a plastic bag on the end of the schooling whip and just tickle him with it to make a noise unless he is going to be completely mad. The only problem with using spurs is if he starts ignoring them you then don't really have anything to move on to.
 
random_rach - yes all his tack fits fine, had a saddler check his saddle (which was made to fit him anyway) not so long ago and he just told me to use a prolite pad as it was bridging slightly.
Thanks for the suggestion of the plastic bag, though I think that might send him slightly mad, if I managed to get it near him in the first place lol!!
Yes I completely agree with the issue of him beginning to ignore the spurs, which is what I am worried about and why I decided to post on here lol!
 
So the plastic would get him moving then lol!
Have you tried putting his old bit back in and seeing how he goes? Maybe he just doesn't like the french link or he is just completely bored of the schooling and has decided his not going to do it.
 
this will sound random but amy start to work....
use a 1-2-3 approach

1. give him a squeeze
if no response
2. give him a kick
still no response
3. give him smack with whip

repeat it starting at 1 everytime u need to and he may start learning 2 count so he will go on 1 - thats the idea anyway!!!

it works for a few people i know with nappy, grumpy native types lol
i havent tried for ages as my main problem is stopping not goin!!!!
smile.gif
 
lol it might but we would probs end up prancing sideways, huffing, puffing and spinning around
crazy.gif
!!

His old owners rode him in a single jointed fulmer snaffle, but to me this didn't sit comfortably in his mouth (I think he has a big tongue), and wasn't enough brakes for me (at this point he was being fed Badminton All In One before I changed to something with less fizz in it!)
He seems very happy in the french link and respects it more than any other bit I've tried him in, and to me seemed to resist the kimblewick slightly, though it gave me effective brakes when he used to spook, spin, then take off
crazy.gif
luckily we no longer have this problem!
He is happier to take the bit more and work in an outline (of his own accord, I don't ask/force him to do this) and has a good chomp on the french link.

I do try to vary his schooling to keep it interesting, for example after 5 mins of work I will let him pop a few jumps before carrying on for another 5 mins, as he enjoys his jumping, or I will incorporate some jumps into the flatwork, however, particularly on transitions he is not so enthusiastic which is a shame as he has lovely paces.
It is hacking aswell though that he just plants himself, and he enjoys his hacks which I again try to vary to keep him interested.
Thanks for your suggestions though!
 
I have a friend who competes a Connie at top level he too can be a bit sluggish and I know she always gives him a good feed of oats before ( a couple of days) show dates beacause he can be a lazy so and so...
 
My horse was ridden in spurs before I bought him. I hate wearing spurs as I don't think my lower leg is still enough but after 2 years of struggling with the 'forward button' I am going to try the spurs again.
 
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