Tips on getting lazy horse to trot

[Donuts]

For years I have been exceptionally nervous riding however I have found an amazing instructor and now I want to actually progress.
Here’s the but.....my horse refuses to trot, mainly I think because I have always let her be lazy but now the instructor has to follow us around the school with a lunge whip to actually get somewhere.
I wear spurs, have 2 whips but the moment he leaves us , horse just stops and naps.
I am determined to beat this but am getting sick of the bucks, strops and napping.
(Back saddle and teeth ok and trots ok with others, just taking mickey out of me !)
And advice if anyone has been through this would be fab.

 

[blitznbobs]

What does your instructor suggest?

 

[Donuts]

Instructor says I just have to keep asking and asking and one day it will click but that she just challenging me as got away with it for years ! I just wondered if anyone else has been through this?

 

[Pinkvboots]

I think sometimes it's a case of being really tough and just not putting up with it, you almost have to completely change your way of riding and thinking, I would ask with a soft leg and if you don't get a response I would flap my legs and whip until you do even shout if you have to, and I would keep going back to walk and asking for trot and only stop until he goes off a light leg aid, and do this every time you ride until he learns you won't put up with it.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Without being mean, I would suggest that it is not the horse that is lazy but your riding which is ineffective. And that neither of you is doing the other any good at this stage. Can you have some lessons on a simulator which will help you to concentrate on your position, so that you become more effective? Or failing access to a simulator, a series of lunge lessons on a responsive horse would be helpful.

 

[Shay]

I think Pinkyboots has it. You need to change how you are asking. Your horse has "got away with it" for years and so has learned to ignore your leg. And, but the sounds of it, whips, spurs etc. Some horses can just be very stubborn! Increasing the adversive pressure - kicking harder, hitting, using spurs etc will only for a time. You'll have to keep upping the pressure.

Try a different tack. If you can lunge or long rein you could try teaching her to respond to a voice aid or sound. Or you might find that easier when out hacking if she is more forward then. Every time you want an upward transition - however else you ask for it - make the sound you want her to associate with it - a word, a trill sound, a click , whatever suits. Also you could try something like a whipwop rope - a very soft frayed rope you flick around over her neck to indicate and upward transition.

Also perhaps look at her fitness and her feed. If you ask for trot and get it, but then work her until she is tired - in contrast you ask for trot, don't get it, get bored and stop - you are teaching her to refuse. Make sure she is fit enough and when she is giving you a trot that you end the lesson there to re-enforce that this was the right response.

 

[Shady]

Does she do the same thing if you hack out?
I learnt very quickly that my Arab found the whole schooling thing really boring and he was super lazy but the moment we went out hacking it was like I had a different horse. It was a revelation and as I only hack out we are both really happy!

 

[AmyMay]

Does your instructor ride the horse??

How is it to hack out?

 

[Donuts]

Instructor rides her and yes she trots perfectly. Hacking she is good but lazy but to be honest I like that as I am very nervous hacking

 

[AmyMay]

So you're the problem. Can you get some lessons on a school master?

 

[blitznbobs]

Ok so don’t think trot when you go for a trot transition, think canter or gallop... choose a point at the other end of the school and think I want the horse to gallop to that point... I think this sounds like a problem in your head rather than a riding issue and if you are scared of going fast you are probably giving mixed messages rather than the horse being naughty. Could you have some lunge lessons where you give up your reins etc so that you can work on getting used to the horse ata faster pace?

 

[tristar]

you need to get an effective seat, seat bones and legs, and to use .your back

 

[Pinkvboots]

I do agree with blitznbobs as in you need to get almost get her speeding round the school, I know when my horse is being a bit lazy and not listening to my leg so well my instructor has me almost galloping round until he does, and I will go to this method if I think his taking the p, some horses have to be ridden in a certain way and you have to almost make them a bit intimidated by your leg not in a nasty way, but they have to have that respect and know leg means forward and you must make sure you get it every time.

 

[DirectorFury]

I can't see where you are but some lessons on a mechanical horse might be a good idea.

 

[Keith_Beef]

Where I ride, there used to be a Normandy Cob who was a right lazy bugger. There were, I think, five of us who could get him to trot, and maybe three who could work him up to a canter.

He was sold on, in the end, for being no good for novices and for kicking his stabling to bits (he destroyed the concrete manger in the corner, knocked all the plaster off the wall to the neighbouring cell and almost kicked his door through).

Lazy, but not really all that difficult for grooming or getting tacked up, other than not liking to lift his hooves for me to pick them out (I think he had a balance problem). He would practically put his head into the bridle for me.

 

[Dynamo]

Couple of suggestions to add in to the mix:

As well as your lessons, see if you can get a trusted friend to help you by lunging while you ride. Work on a voice command or trill as others have said, with the friend also encouraging decisively from behind with lunge whip. Just go forwards for a couple of sessions; not working on transitions or anything, just forwards, forwards, forwards, knowing that you are completely safe because someone has the lunge line. You do need someone competent for this... move up and down the school on the lunge, don't just stay on a small circle, so helper needs to be fit and keep with you. When pony gets the idea, reduce the use of the lunge whip, remove the lunge line, but keep friend in same position so that pony still thinks he's on the lunge, and go by yourself. Eventually you can introduce more and more transitions to sharpen up, but for now... it's all about just going forwards.

Sing! Honestly. It is great for motivating yourself and your pony. With a young pony that is backward thinking I make up songs or sing nursery rhymes or anything to motivate both him and myself. "Kick, kick, kick along; sing, sing, sing our song; great, great, it won't take long!" Any old rubbish to keep us energised and to get us both thinking forward.

Poles. Poles are a great tool. I use them a lot, especially with backward thinking ponies. Start with just four poles, two on each long side, evenly spaced between B/E and the corner markers, so that you are straight when you reach each pole. Pick a pole, decide that is going to be your 'trot' point. When you reach the pole before that start to think forwards, prepare yourself, give the aid, do your voice command, sing your song, get friend to wiggle lunge whip... whatever you choose as your cue (not necessarily all of them!)... and aim to be trotting by the time you reach the next pole. Keep going. Think next pole, next pole, next pole. Look at those poles and aim and kick and go. Trot all the way round if you can, going over the four poles, or whatever you can manage. When you come back to walk (and it doesn't matter if you only trot two or three strides at first), walk as far as the next pole to give yourself a breather, then at the next pole, trot... you get the idea. It gives you and the pony something AHEAD to focus on, something to look at, something definite and visible to ride TOWARDS. Does that make sense? Repeat on both reins. As you get better you can vary it and get lots of transitions in by for example trotting all four poles, then three, then two, then one at a time with a transition in between. It's an exercise I use with small children to get them trotting off the lead rein; it gives them a 'go' point and they feel safe with the idea of just going from one pole to the next until they can get all the way round by themselves.

 

[Antw23uk]

Do you think you are too heavy and everyone around you is being polite and saying you are fine? (other than the horse of course) when you arent? If the horse goes ok for others then its you not the horse!

 

[alainax]

A friend had this problem recently. Just ineffective aids and a horse who knew how to ignore them! The main issue was ignoring the aids had no consequences. She could ride other horses no problem, as they hadn’t been taught it’s ok to ignore the aids.

Each time we ride we are training ourselves and the horse, you may have inadvertently taught him to ignore you.

After months of laziness, She got through it really quickly with proper determination. No matter what if you are asking for trot you are not giving up till he trots. Once he starts to listen it’s like a landslide!

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Spurs and 2 whips?! Something isn't right there. Even my lazy one would gallop around if I got on him with spurs and 2 whips!
My welsh use to be very not 'off' the leg as a youngster. It took me months of training him not to ignore aids, I use to think 'aw hes a baby he'll learn' but really I was teaching him to ignore aids as if he didn't want to trot, i'd go 'aw hes tired hes only 5' so purely my fault.
Are you using them effectively? It sounds like somethings wrong with the horse or the aids aren't being used effectively. I had a lesson 2 years ago and was being told plain and simple, ride that horse properly no mummying him or your ruin him. I rode my welsh with a schooling whip, I asked for trot if no response he'd get a smack on his bum. Took no more than 2 times for him to go off the leg and hes now a completely different horse.

 

[ester]

Mine wouldn't

 

[milliepops]

Spurs and 2 whips?! Something isn't right there.

This. And if that's the instructor's answer then something's not right there either!

OP do you ride any other horses? if the horse goes OK for instructor and as you mentioned you are nervous hacking so allow (or subconsciously ask) the horse to be slow and sluggish, then it sounds to me like this is less of a problem with your horse and more of a problem in your confidence. Confidence can really affect how forward horses are too- I have an anxious horse who almost can't go forward until she relaxes, and if someone rode her giving off anxious vibes she'd be rooted to the spot.

Can you ride some other horses, perhaps friends horses or at a riding school, to see if the same thing happens?

 

[honetpot]

I think you need help with your thinking. If you do not like hacking, where you think you may have less control I wonder if you body language and the way you put your body is telling him not to go any faster. I think you need less of an instructor, which is not really working anyway, and more of someone who can unlock you. Look up neuro linguistic programming or confidence clinics. Sometimes you just have to try a different way.

 

[scruffyponies]

You have effectively trained the horse to ignore the aids. Poor horse now thinks it's his JOB to be beaten and kicked whilst you're on him.

Not an easy thing to rectify, particularly with a nervous rider. However, FWIW, when I want to get a lazy or nappy horse to go, I like to picture that I am suddenly facing an emergency. I must gallop over to the next hedgerow to rescue someone; that sort of thing.

Best of luck.

 

[Dave's Mam]

I was struggling to get canter with Dave. Turns out the issue is all me. Your legs are only effective if you put them in the right place at the right time. I think you may have taught your horse to ignore you. 2 whips & spurs? Sounds like a bit of overkill to me.
Take it back to basics.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I was struggling to get canter with Dave. Turns out the issue is all me. Your legs are only effective if you put them in the right place at the right time. I think you may have taught your horse to ignore you. 2 whips & spurs? Sounds like a bit of overkill to me.
Take it back to basics.

And who's to say that the spurs will be used in the right place? First step imo is to ditch the instructor, who doesn't sound to have a clue, tbh. then have some lessons either on a simulator or the lunge. Simulator is best as if you don't sit in the right place the horse won't/can't go. You need to work on your own riding, OP, before you can work on the horse's way of going.

 

[Horsekaren]

I think an instructor that chases you around with a whip is a bit silly. I sent my partner to a riding school, about 3 lessons in he was learning to canter, the instructor chased the horse (who apparently is known not to be a fan of this) and the horse stopped dead at the wall which resulted in my OH being launched over the horses head.

I am having a lazy phase with my horse, if i give him a short sharp tap with the whip he detests and will buck if he is in the mood. I find the best thing when he ignores my leg is to have a saddle shaped numnah, have a schooling whip behind your leg and tap tap tap tap lightly and consistently (basically be annoying) as soon as he goes forward stop tapping. That way there is a clear and consistent pressure for them to move away from. Just smacking with a whip firmly is pointless if the horse doesn't know what you want or isnt rewarded for listening.
Not that i know much, i watched a video and it really clicked with me

 

[tristar]

if he he wont go with two whips and spurs, how ridiculous! cant you see how wrong that is.

i believe you ride a horse how it it needs to be ridden, and i can drastically change my approach and style of riding to suit the horse, and am completely against using violent aids, poor horse simply does not understand what is being asked, he must dread being ridden.

i have seen people use 2 whips and spurs at the same same time, its the red flag of bad training and a person who has no understanding of the real aims and reasons of what they are doing.

when you think you can get on a horse who has never been ridden before during backing and it will go forwards nicely into walk and trot very early on is proof that most horses are naturally forward and willing, its the rider thats cocking it up

your riding instructor has no clue how t help you or the horse

 

[JFTDWS]

Shoot the RI.

Get some lessons on a simulator, or lunge, or both.

Reassess whether there's any possible physical issue with the combination of rider and horse (weight, tack, variations in balance etc).

 

[Elbie]

The horse i used to share would always go better with the instructor there. Not sure if maybe they feel they are being lunged so are responding to the person on the ground slightly?!

I struggled with impulsion and my instructor pointed out it’s basically because I was sitting there waiting for stuff to happen but not actually doing anything! Simple things like turning, I wouldn’t put any thought into setting up, making a smooth turn etc, so she used to basically stand in the way so if I didn’t act fast I would run her over 🤣

She would be quite drastic/dramatic. Trotting round she would ask me out of 10 how it felt, then would say right you’ve got until you get to A to get that up to an 8, what you gonna do? Then would pull out an imaginary gun and say she was going to shoot me to try and make me hustle 😆.

I just had a schooling whip, and it was a simple ask with the legs, if no response ask with exaggerated flappy legs then no response use the whip too.

Riding on my own I really had to get in the frame of mind to not be lazy at all. Yes it is hard work and easier to let the horse do what they want but it defeats the purpose of schooling. One thing I would do is pretend I was in a dressage competition. I wouldn’t be able to think “Trot at B...ok missed that, I’ll trot at F” in a competition setting so tried to bring that mentality into schooling setting. The horse would generally have a small strop as she was getting annoyed at me being ‘bossy’ but then she would just crack on!