Captain is Lazy!!!

[NoviceNic]

When I first looked at Captain I needed a confidence giver. Well my confidence has certainly boosted. I am doing everything I wanted to do. Hacking alone, Galloping and jumping (small fences). The thing is my confidence has boosted so much I want to do a course of jumps and school him etc. When I hack him out he is really good and has more energy in him to go forward but the minute I get into the menage he is an absolute stubborn lazy mule. :( I try hard to push him on constantly with my legs. Then my legs ache and I never win unless I use the whip. :( He has been a rding school pony for 4 years and I think he just hates being schooled.

How can I get him interested again and get him more forward going? I hate using the whip. When I jump him he is in canter but the minute he lands the other side he goes straight into walk. I am trying to keep my balance and concentrate on keeping him straight that I do not use my leg aids to follow the jump through.

[Sallinello]

Hi Nic, only just seen this but thought I'd ask what are you feeding him at the mo? A lot of it could just be his nature but I've recently upped my boy's feed and he has perked up no end. Also the spring grass is staring to come through so that should make a bit of difference :D

[notpoodle]

my pony is like that. she isnt too keen on working in the school some days, but take her on a hack and she'll turn into a little windup toy :)

maybe try varying the stuff you do in the school to keep him interested. eg. angel was getting a bit bored and lacklustre in the school so we popped over some miniscule jumps today (i jump once in a blue moon ...), she perked up immmediately :)

and dont feel bad about using your whip to back up your leg (little tap behind the leg is better than 'putting the boot in' i think).

julia
x

[Skib]

but the minute I get into the menage he is an absolute stubborn lazy mule. :( I try hard to push him on constantly with my legs. Then my legs ache and I never win unless I use the whip. :( He has been a rding school pony for 4 years and I think he just hates being schooled.
Nic, I always so envy you your horse and your hacks.
I wonder how you get a brisk walk from him out hacking? Do you press or kick with both legs at once? I suspect not. Probably you just nudge with one leg at a time, following the swing of his barrell - like Mark Rashid showed or I have been taught to ride.
It is probable too, that your whole body may be more relaxed and flexible, moving in rhythm with him when you are out hacking together. In your place I would try to ride him in the school as closely as possible to the way you ride him when you are out on a hack.
And set him interesting things to do in the school, backing, turning, going sideways. Or doing things with poles on the ground? So you have many little achievements to praise him for. Again this is a natural horsemanship thing: that one can't tell a horse he is being lazy or to stop dong something. You have to distract him by giving him something else to do instead, and occupying his mind.
As you say, if he is an ex riding school horse Captain has probably learned not to take any notice of kicks, nor to sustain a canter or trot in the school unless expressly asked for it. I have my lessons on a mare that responds to the slightest touch, if she knows I mean it. But I have seen her stubbornly ignore a student who was using his legs in conventional riding school fashion.

It may be some time before you get Captain jumping or doing perfect canter circles or whatever advanced things you have in mind. But could you amuse him and surprise him first, and have a good time together in the school? And reinforce it all the time out on your hacks? After that he will probably do anything for you. Let us know how you go.

[notpoodle]

my pony is a sucker for weaving around traffic cones in the school. no idea why but it usually perks her up immediately.

@ novicenic: i had something similar today. rode in the school for a bit (just wanted to assess how fresh she was because she was in yesterday ....), not very succesful. first she didnt want to go in, then she took objection to a plastic bag outside the school (the bag is ALWAYS there, there is no reason why it should be scary all of a sudden ...), kept napping towards the gate (resulting in nice, if unplanned sideways action, ahem) ... not much fun.

then went for a walk round the block with a friend and she was a different pony, happily plodding along, all alert and paying attention :D

julia
x

[NoviceNic]

Captain is only on 4 leaves of hay at night and grass during the day. If I remember rightly I posted this thread earlier on last week. On Thurday night we went out for a hack with a friend and her speedy pony. We decided to have a race along the bridle path. To my absolute amazement Captain won. Granted I had to throw my reins forward and back up my legs with a tap on his bum when I felt him slow up. Anyway we had more gallops and we drew by default. I think he must just enjoy hacking out more than being schooled?? Maybe he will be a little more forward going when I start to take him to shows as it will be a different environment. We had a 1hr lesson on Saturday. We worked on getting him on concentrating on what I was asking and also trotting poles and then onto jumping. We nearly jumped 2 ft. I have to say though Captain was absolutely shattered. Nearly as shattered as me. I gave him a cool sponge bath and thought he would hate it but he stood quite calmly.