Unresponsive to the leg and whip

[Mule]

If it is a learned response (training issue) he has completely tuned out the aids as her previous owner overused them. Hhe needs to be resensitized to them.

Use very light leg pressure to ask him to move. Give him a few seconds to respond, if he doesn't, increase the aid to 3 increasingly stronger leg aids but don't pony club kick him. If he still doesn't respond tap him with your whip behind the saddle. Don't hit, just tap. Increase in frequency (not pressure) until you get a slight reaction. Then immediately stop the pressure.
Even if the movement is sideways or backward, you are just looking for movement.

Don't use your legs or whip to keep him going. If he stops again just repeat the process. He will likely keep stopping for a while. The important thing is to train him to move again. You will have to teach him gradually to respond to the aids again. It needs a lot of patience and you have to be very careful not to nag to keep him going. The aim is to get him to respond to a light leg aid.

Just because he doesn't respond to kicking and whip use doesn't mean that he doesnt feel pain so he will need lots of praise as riding will have become very unpleasant for him.

 

[moosea]

He moves the same on the lunge with and without tack as he does under saddle. He is almost unresponsive to voice cues or any movement from the whip

He had his tack checked by a saddle fitter recently who said everything looked very good - he has a very short back for a horse his size and only takes a 16.5 inch saddle

He definitely does have quite a large forehand compared to his hind! Big shoulders and a high wither. He definitely lacks muscle in his hind and topline

Here you can also see it despite him standing on a hill

He's really down hill isn't he.
But still a very nice type.
Maybe get some bloods run when the vet is out.
Worming all up to date? Teeth all ok?

 

[Kaylum]

My friend had an ex riding school horse like this. Would even go in the school hated hacking out on his own. Would just stand there. You couldnt get him to trot. Lived out, was quite happy but hated being ridden. She finally managed to get out by going with someone else. He seemed to like that especially if the other one was a bit giddy.

 

[ycbm]

He moves the same on the lunge with and without tack as he does under saddle. He is almost unresponsive to voice cues or any movement from the whip

He had his tack checked by a saddle fitter recently who said everything looked very good - he has a very short back for a horse his size and only takes a 16.5 inch saddle

He definitely does have quite a large forehand compared to his hind! Big shoulders and a high wither. He definitely lacks muscle in his hind and topline

Here you can also see it despite him standing on a hill

I have exactly the same worries about this picture as I do about the other. If he was mine I would be doing flexion tests on his front feet and probably his hind too, just to check.

ETA he is shod in this photo and, subject to the usual disclaimer of photos being a snapshot in time, it looks good that you now have him barefoot.
.

 

[NiftDisy]

He's really down hill isn't he.
But still a very nice type.
Maybe get some bloods run when the vet is out.
Worming all up to date? Teeth all ok?

He is actually due to be wormed again tomorrow but apart from that it’s all up to date.
The people I bought him from could not tell me when he last had his teeth done so I have the dentist coming right after Christmas
I have noticed his tongue looks like it has old damage to it. Lines across where it looks like people have been very rough with the bit in the past. He was competed up to 1.10 in showjumping in Ireland and Scotland for most of his life

 

[AmyMay]

He is actually due to be wormed again tomorrow but apart from that it’s all up to date.
The people I bought him from could not tell me when he last had his teeth done so I have the dentist coming right after Christmas
I have noticed his tongue looks like it has old damage to it. Lines across where it looks like people have been very rough with the bit in the past. He was competed up to 1.10 in showjumping in Ireland and Scotland for most of his life

It will be very interesting to see what the dentist says.

Forget my overnight suggestion.

Get him thoroughly checked out by your vet and recommended physio, and go from there.

I suspect he’s been rocked around the circuit, gone lame (suspensories?). And then chucked to a dealer to get what they could.

 

[NiftDisy]

My friend had an ex riding school horse like this. Would even go in the school hated hacking out on his own. Would just stand there. You couldnt get him to trot. Lived out, was quite happy but hated being ridden. She finally managed to get out by going with someone else. He seemed to like that especially if the other one was a bit giddy.

Yeah he seems to be very sensitive to how the other horses are behaving. If they’re calm, he’s calm, if they get excited, he gets excited
I was considering having someone else ride in the school and I could ride up behind and follow them with Disney.. might encourage him a bit if he’s following a friend

 

[NiftDisy]

It will be very interesting to see what the dentist says.

Forget my overnight suggestion.

Get him thoroughly checked out by your vet and recommended physio, and go from there.

I suspect he’s been rocked around the circuit, gone lame (suspensories?). And then chucked to a dealer to get what they could.

I know he has been with at least 10 different owners. He has been on sales livery quite a lot with local yards that have all sent me videos of him being ridden in which he looks a lot better than he does now. He was with the people that I bought him from for 5 years. They originally bought him wanting him to be a calm plod for pottering around their farm on, which being a show jumper, he obviously wasn’t. They looked terrified to be riding him at the the Viewing and really hung on hard to his mouth.
I suspect that he was too forward going for them and they seriously restricted him for years and that it is learned behaviour for him to be so behind the leg and reluctant

 

[AmyMay]

Ah, ok.

 

[tristar]

might sound daft but after the vet checks etc, i would long rein him, and have an assistant at his head with whatever turns him on, carrot sticks etc, to give instant rewards to voice aids and re teach the basic commands, if progress was made i would go on to lunging, needs must, and far better than all the kicking stuff, even teach him to move from a schooling whip used as a leg aid from the ground with an ass
istant

he sounds like hes had an awful time being messed around, i`d keep itreally simple and take him out for walks in hand too

 

[jhoward]

I'd be finding a field and going for a good canter with horses in front and a relaxed rein, just show him he can move freely again.

Have you tried him loose in the school? Sounds like he's a horse shut down and hasn't enjoyed being ridden for a long time.

 

[NiftDisy]

I'd be finding a field and going for a good canter with horses in front and a relaxed rein, just show him he can move freely again.

Have you tried him loose in the school? Sounds like he's a horse shut down and hasn't enjoyed being ridden for a long time.

I’m hoping to take him out in a field and go for a canter now that all the ice has melted. I’m hoping that will cheer him up a bit

I have ran him loose in the school and he ran around with and played with me. That was after a bad ride so I just played around with him to try take the pressure off

 

[I don’t like mondays]

When my horse was in pain, his response was to go behind the leg and completely ignore all leg aids. Reluctance to move can be a sign of pain, glad you’re getting the vet to check. I’d be thinking about X-rays/tests rather than a vet or physio just looking at the horse. Many issues can’t be picked up by a physio or vet feeling a horse (eg my horse had bad kissing spine and didn’t palpate as sore, he’d tell me he was sore by going behind the leg)- not saying your horse will have anything significant like that but good to rule things out (and get a second opinion if you’re not happy). Chiros and physios are great but also cannot always spot issues

 

[ycbm]

Wrong thread!

 

[spotty_pony]

He has a kind eye. If nothing is found to be physically wrong with him, yes do some poles and jumping. He may just be shut down because he is bored. If you are brave enough, maybe take him hunting - that should teach him to go forwards again.

 

[holeymoley]

In the second photo, his front shoes look far too small for his hooves. Not very clear though. But if same farrier it could be something as simple as that.

 

[Regandal]

His feet do look a bit odd. Can you take pics of them, down at ground level?

 

[Lurfy]

We had a lovely horse years ago who had been cranked and spanked to get him into a "frame" in the arena. He was not forward at all as a result of this, particularly in the arena. We took him out trail riding on a loose rein and let him canter and gallop where that was possible. It was the best thing for him as he rediscovered his fifth gear and fortunately he was pretty manageable. He never really enjoyed flatwork but he had a fabulous jump it turned out. He was one of my favorite horses, we had him for many years, so sorry when the old boy died. Good luck with your horse OP, he looks really sweet.

 

[Boulty]

Poor horse. Would advise vet exam (ideally full lameness workup) followed by physio. Dentist to look at teeth definitely a good shout as well. If they agree with you about him having old injuries to his tongue then it may be worth trying him bitless?

If you can't find anything physically wrong with him then would focus on trying to make work fun for him again. Maybe focus on hacking out (ideally with friends to motivate him) in terms of ridden work & do work in the school from the ground for now (perhaps with polework, small jumps & other obstacles to add some variety). Would also seek help from an instructor who has experience working with shut down horses if you can find one. If you can get him to the point where he's fit enough & more responsive to both hand & leg then may be worth taking him hunting if that's something he's previously enjoyed as but wouldn't advise it at the moment as he won't be fit enough & you'd also need to feel more secure in your position than it sounds like you do at the moment on him.