Tips for getting the best out of lazy, lazy, LAZY horses???

[catembi]

Okay, I've done enough moaning about Adrian - it's time for action!!

Also it seems that I'm not the only one on here with this problem.

Soooo...your tips for lazy horses! And success stories if possible.

 

[Nailed]

whip them alot?

Lou x

 

[kerilli]

umm, schooling whip in both hands, light leg aid, back up immediately with flick from whip and voice aid.
lots of energy feed, lots of fun work, no 'drilling' in circles etc.
(obv after blood test to check if anaemic, physio/chiro, dentist, etc etc to check there is no physical reason for sluggishness.)

 

[SSM]

Give up, put in foal, buy a new one

 

[catembi]

Nailed, much as I would like to be a horse-beater (

), it just makes him buck & thus lose all forward momentum...

 

[Nailed]

Beat his shoulders???

Lou x

 

[catembi]

I am not sure how I'd get a foal from my 2 - Adrian is an ISH gelding & my mare is 36... The trouble with getting a new one is that I don't want something sharp, which means I'm stuck with something idle...

I'm hoping that it's just a phase & he will get better as he gets older... Currently 6...

 

[Baileysno1]

Two whips definately, short sweet sessions, don't get on if you feel at all lazy yourself you will reverse all the hard work, in fact get yourself in an angry determined mood if possible.

Also get trotting vary within the pace rather than direct transitions to start with, think snappy snappy snappy, then reward with short breaks too. Get 10mins good work and built from that.

Phew so glad Ryu has gone he was like a cross between a toddler and a multigym he required constant varrying and entertainment to stop him well...stop

Len is happy to work in the school for hours and hours doing the same thing honning it to death, its bliss!

 

[TableDancer]

Have you tried ProPell Plus? I expect you have but it certainly seemed to be rocket fuel when I used it on something sharp by mistake

 

[HelsB]

Look into the biomechanics of your own riding - I went for a simulator session at Ashen EC with Becky Chapman who teaches the 'Ride With Your Mind' way and found that I had been riding my boy with a 'whoa' seat. A couple of basic changes and I now have a 'go' seat

 

[AutumnRose]

Second the ProPell Plus. my sister used it on her pony who was possibly the laziest that EVER lived and worked really well.

 

[miller]

ide with legs just on sides as normal position, only use legs when you want to ask for something, if no response pony club kick but allow horse to go forwards at will, praise for forward motion and repeat each time required - you have to be very aware that you don't niggle with legs any other time out of habit though

Other one that has worked for me in the past (disclaimer - only use on horse who is not spooky to the whip) - is to ride as normal but with whip upright from your hand (upside down) and as you are WALKING round just tiptap horse every so often either on sides of quarters or shoulders completely randomly when you need more oomph - horse doesn't know where whip will touch less and responds to each touch - honest it came from a dressage trainer and did work on my lazy lummox who gets tense if you do the standard transitionsm transitions, transitions idea

 

[Nailed]

I still say hit it..

Lou x

 

[Supanova]

HelsB - can you pass on the changes you made to go from a woah to a go seat?!

 

[catembi]

H'mm, I've been meaning to get another whip & the saddlery was going to get me one the same as my existing one (which isn't quite worn out yet...) so I must rem to go & pick it up.

Tried Propell Plus & had a hack from hell, but he was also on a ton of oats & micronised peas at the time, rarely hacks out, we had the dog with us & last time we went that way, we were hunting so he was v v excited wondering where all his new friends were. That was far & away the least fun I've ever had with him, so took him back off everything.

Started the Propell Plus again last night, so we will see what happens...

Where was the 'go' trainer based?

 

[kit279]

Hunting, haylage instead of hay and situations where they can get really competitive with another horse, so galloping neck and neck and racing them. Also, all of the above at once on a cold day with a full clip.

I've been helping out with a friend's KWPN warmblood mare who doesn't really know how to go forward and is very sluggish. We box her and my TB to a hill at Harlton and then go hell for leather up the hill there. Gets her fitter and brings out the competitive edge, I usually go ahead a little so she has to catch up. Works a treat, she's getting to be much more forward now.

 

[kit279]

Also, if he bucks, smack him again! He's just answering back and needs to know that doesn't mean he can get out of going forward. I also found that one of mine from a long time ago (very very mulish horse, would kick out at the whip and stop dead) was to get the schooling whip and swish it fast past his ear to make a whooshing noise. This made him pay attention and be a little bit nervy and go forward but you weren't smacking him so that he bucked.

 

[Molineux]

I have a very lazy event horse when it comes to Dressage!! And he can go a little flat Showjumping but XC is another matter he flys!
What I tend to do before an event is keep him in for 2 days and not let him out at all, He is then full of engery for his event!! People think I am mad but it really does work!!

 

[HelsB]

[ QUOTE ]
HelsB - can you pass on the changes you made to go from a woah to a go seat?!

[/ QUOTE ]

It is more difficult than that as they would need to assess what you were doing to enable them to change things.

I had a 5 min free session on 'Strider' the simulator at the Holistic Horse Show, Becky changed a couple of things with my position and I practiced for a few weeks before booking a proper lesson. My lazy cob has now turned into a speed machine LOL!!

If you want to try it without booking a session I would thoroughly reccommend Mary Wanless "Ride With your Mind Essentials" book

 

[HelsB]

[ QUOTE ]
Where was the 'go' trainer based?

[/ QUOTE ]

http://www.ashenequestriancentre.co.uk/

Not all that far from you I wouldn't think - worth a drive

Let me know if you decide to...

 

[Joss]

Maybe a bit more hacking would be the answer if you rarely hack. My horse would be fairly lazy if I schooled more than once or twice a week.

Lots of fun forward going hacks might do the trick

Do you do XC? Is he still lazy for that?

 

[Bossanova]

Incentive- do something fun every session.
Try to not constantly niggle- give an aid, get a response and then leave alone. This takes training- it'll take a while before he will remain consistant

 

[catembi]

I took him xc schooling last year at Potton xc which is a mile up the road. Made like a bronco for about 5 mins, then just jumped whatever I pointed him at. Table, big tyres, concrete pipe, steps, sand pit etc. Jumped everything absolutely perfectly, but after 10 mins was resting a back foot while I was deciding what to do next...

Honestly, he was totally foot perfect & he'd never done it before. He maybe revved up a gear, but only the one.

 

[FMM]

Change is name to WHizzy or Ronaldo or something more inspiring! Adrian probably makes him feel like he should have a pipe a slippers ...

 

[JessPickle]

Pickle gets a lot faster in the school if I give him a few days away from the school, just hacking and having some races

Also have you blood tested at all, pickle is prone to anemia and when he does get anemic it is like riding a horse thats falling asleep underneath you!

 

[harrihjc]

catembi I can totally sympathise! My beast ignores your leg, ignores the whip, happily continues to plod whilst others gallop off in front of him, is pumped full of oats, propell...not anaemic, just bone idle! Doesn't even change at shows, or jumping. The only thing he puts energy into is misbehaving, like a string of bucks because he's had a smack. Honestly, we have had many lessons where my instructor literally has to chase him round the school with a schooling whip and he's still not fussed! It's a long frustrating process but we're getting somewhere sort of. I've found the only way to get good work out of Flash is to really really make him mad, he gets really annoyed at me, thinks he's having a tantrum and being naughty, but is actually going nicely

We've found what works quite well is waving a schooling whip out to the side of him so it makes a whirring noise, he doesn't buck because its not touching him, but it makes him really cross and he prances around wanting to go forward, but keep him walking for a while, then when I do let him go, its just a short burst then stop, which annoys him even more. Strange method, but now all i have to do is move the whip to the side and he's wide awake!

 

[little_flea]

Turn out less so he has more energy for when you ride. Doesn't mean he has to be stabled 24/7 - just turn out for an hour or two a dag instead of all day.

 

[NewHeights_SJ]

Fee can be a little lazy, not as much as adrian by the sounds of it but im starting to get the hang of how to handle things. Ive really cut down on work load, i only school once/twice a week....hack on the end of the buckle and dont jumpt too much at home. Also give at least one day off before a show, so she is boardering on fresh. Look at our results recently - it seems to be working!

Good luck N xx

 

[flyingfeet]

The red cell, oats and peas works for one of mine. He is still fine to hack though!! (Did sound like that may have worked??)

Also if I put my lower leg on and he doesn't instantly answer, will generally apply spurs hard and then he gets much sharper off the leg.

 

[little_flea]

[ QUOTE ]
I still say hit it..

Lou x

[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously, making sure the horse responds to light aids, using a schooling whip is a good idea, but I fail to see how a horse would feel more motivated by just generally being hit...