Very lazy, slow horse please help.

T

tashyisaudrey

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 August 2005
Messages
925
Location
Devon
Visit site
Ok. I have a coloured cob and he's 15hh, 7yrs old. I keep him at home and he's mainly used just for happy hacking, but I do show him when I can. He'very calm and easy to do but I am getting a bit worried about him. He's always been very slow and lazy, but recently it seems he can't be bothered at all. I was schooling him yesterday and he just plodded around the school, if you ask for more leg he just ignores it and carries on at same pace. His canter is balanced, but he tires very easily. He is actually ridden twice everyday, so he is not unfit. He's at a good weight and his tack etc all fits. His feet and worming have been done. He's fed just pony nuts and chaff. I took him out hunting a few times over the winter and he almost got left behind! He watched all the other horses shooting off but it still doesn't excite him - which I thought it might. He used to nap a bit when I first got him, but never anymore. I want to cheer him up and get him listening to my leg and moving on a bit otherwise I think I'm going to have to sell him as don't know what else to do. The other thing is he hates jumping and never tries, he breaks more poles than jumping them. sorry at my wits end!
 
i sympathise totally as my horse was the same when i got him. I have various ways of quickening him up because he had gone numbe to the leg so that was pointless. PM if you want to chat about it
 
yeh that sounds cool I haven't tried that with him before. I have a sneaky feeling he'd just stand there lol. He's dead to the crop as well when you ride him! On the lunge he is just the same, really lazy, but with the lunge whip he does move on a bit. Generally he is better on the lunge, but saying that its not a remarkable difference!
 
I'll give the oats a try!
smile.gif
 
We have a pony like that at the yard. He is painful to ride.

I would say look at changing his food. Otherwise what I suggest is get him enjoying being ridden. Are you taking him on outrides? Take him out and let him gallop a bit.
 
If he is ridden twice a day, perhaps he is just bored and tired. Why not give him a complete break and then take him on a few sponsored rides or something where there is no jumping? He sounds very much like a friend's cob - she was ridden twice a day and got very slow. In the end my friend sold her (to another friend of mine) and now she is ridden just a couple of times a week, she is full of go again.
 
I think Jaylen and pnr have the right idea, maybe he's just sick of being ridden twice a day... he sounds a bit sour.

Mine hates schooling too so I always try lots of variety in her routine and that seems to help. For example I try hard not to school 2 days in a row!

Good luck
smile.gif
 
ridden twice a day is quite a lot, I know if I go to the gym too many days in a row (like 2 haha!) I feel absolutely drained! Maybe he just needs a few days off, or changing his food? Try to vary what he's doing and make him think so he doesn't get bored.
 
I'd get the vet out and blood test him - he could easily have a virus or encysted worm load (doesn't show up in worm counts and unless you use guard or paramox, you won't have covered it in your program)

It might be worth doing a course of panacur 5 day guard to see if that helps

Other than that change his feed for high energy and try hacking out and doing fun things rather than schooling.
 
Have you had his back checked lately - it's a totally random suggestion but my last horse went extremely dead to the leg & jumping was an issue too & it turned out he had sacroiliac problem...made him very stiff & reluctant to move 'forward' at all...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top