Horse not using back end -- Help!

[lifeofriley]

Ok, my younger sister has an 6 y/o OTTTB who she has been using for showjumping. He is very willing to jump and enjoys himself but he holds his head high and drags his back feet over the jumps. Having never ridden him myself, I thought he was just being lazy and stubborn and have been telling her she needs to stop letting him get away with his rubbish.

I rode him myself yesterday and found that the reason he is dragging his back end and throwing his head is because he won't use his hindquarters to push himself forward. If I push him and get him working in a nice outline he really struggles and ends up throwing his head around like a maniac. He is also very difficult to flex to the right..

Any ideas on how I can get him working properly (my little sister has no patience with training horses, she only likes the fun stuff!) bearing in mind that my area has been locked down due to horseflu and the only place I can ride is in a relatively flat paddock that is about 1.5 acres.

Sorry for the long post!!

[Skyhuntress]

Are you sure that there isn't anything from preventing him from wanting to use his back (torn ligaments? sore back?) Ususally OTTBs come with baggage, so I wouldn't be surprised.

If that's ruled out, I'd spend the next weeks just really getting him to go. Don't fiddle with his head just really let him engage himself - set up spaced apart trot poles, cavelettis, do lots of transitions, ect, and keep on encouraging him to life up his back

[lifeofriley]

Thanks, his back is totally fine, had that all checked out, he will stop tossing his head if you ride him in two point position, but he seems to tuck himself into a false outline without pushing with his bum.
Like I said, because our area is quarentined moving any horse gear isn't allowed, so that rules out the trot poles, since I don't want to face a $150,000 fine. :eek:
I was thinking maybe lunging him but am not sure how to get him moving forward because (like a typical TB) he thinks any encouragement when lunging means GO! (which I found out the hard way, having him bolting around in circles with me holding onto the end of the rope!)

Here are some photos of my sister jumping him if that might help (even though he is picking up his back feet in most of them! :rolleyes:)
http://i4.tinypic.com/2ijso41.jpg

http://i16.tinypic.com/4uk5to9.jpg

http://i6.tinypic.com/4tu7kut.jpg