Horse way too slow!

[toohorsemad]

The pony I ride in the riding school is very slow! Any riding positions or tips to make him faster?

[Crazyhorse]

Hi Try not to use your legs the whole time, as this will make the pony dead to the leg and make it switch off. Use your leg gently, then a bit firmer, and if there is no response tap tap with the crop. This is a much better way than kick kicking the whole time. Make sure that your seat is balanced and when you ask the pony to go forward give with your hand. If you are pulling back slighter through the transition this will just confuse the pony.Does your instructor get you to do lots of transitions to make sure your pony is listening to you? Hope this helps

[Bay Mare]

Make sure that your position is right, a lot of riding school horses will go slow, slow down or stop if you tip forward even a millimetre ... it's a safety thing and GREAT for absolute beginners but not so good if you're jumping :D

Lots of transitions, lots of circles, serpentines, shallow loops to get the horse 'switched on'. Some horses benefit from a canter fairly early on to get 'revved up'.

Why not ask your instructor what the 'buttons' are?

I used to ride a ploddy coloured cob. Some days the damn thing wouldn't move and would even park in the middle of the school with you flapping around like a fish out of water. My instructor told me that she could jump 4' and had done Medium dressage. Yeah, right, I thought.

One day though I went to ask for canter. Huh, the bloody animal never cantered first time so I was prepared for flapping around the school until she finally deigned to bother to go into canter. Anyway ... off the leg! Ok, fluke. Other rein, off the leg! What the?????? The instructor said to me afterwards that it was because my position was better and that I was more confident! She still had her ploddy days but if you 'got' her from the beginning and made her work (transitions, school figures etc) then she respected you, decided that perhaps you could ride a bit after all and could be a little star! She never was my favourite ned but my heart didn't sink when I was down to ride her any more!

[toohorsemad]

Thanks for the advice and yes I do do circles and loads of transitions with him! But I think its mostly cause he's tried!

[kedwards]

If he is unfit and truly does become fatigued from his work, then it's just a matter of fittening him up. However, if he is slow from the start, then he just isn't in front of your leg.

Try following CrazyHorse's advice from the beginning of the lesson. Even when you are just walking on a long rein to start, get him forward and really walking out. If your horse is a little on the sluggish side, it's best to have him thinking forward immediately. Plenty of transitions can also help. If he's sluggish, but sufficiently fit, some very brisk work toward the end of the warmup (for example, a hand-gallop or at least a fast canter) can help to freshen the horse up and get him thinking forward.

[hackedoff]

Have you ever tried the Steve Halfpenny technique of bringing your 'life up'? Next time you ask for some pace, lift your chest breathe in and come 'up'as if you were on stage about to burst into your favourite song! Sounds mad but it does work!

[Moomin]

was just going to say the same thing about Steve's bring your life up thing! It does work - the faster you want the more 'life' to put into yourself.

[dancing-horse]

make sure you are sitting back enough, your legs are in the right place and your heels are down. If all this is wrong, it will be harder to push a lazy pony on. When he doesn't respond to your first signal, signal a little harder, when he doesn't respond to that kick him. If he still doesn't respond, use a crop or a whip.

[toohorsemad]

Thanks for all the advice I'm goign to try it now!

[hackedoff]

Let us know how you get on :D

[Liquorice]

Lots and lots of transitions! Also, see if you can just shorten your stirrups, and canter in xc position, lots of our lazy riding school ponies decide to wake up if you're doing xc!

[Eli_Jay]

I own one horse with no brakes, and one who doesn't go!
I made the mistake of using spurs on Cheque - who is very slow - at my intructors demand.
I decided they weren't for me and then he wouldn't go without them! its taken many painstaking schooling sessions to get him to go partially forwards again. What did work is doing extentions along the long sides of the arena and NOT using my legs much.
eg. he's trotting, he goes to slow and a squeeze, when he doesn't listen he gets a flick from the whip behind my leg. i don't enjoy it, but its alot nicer for him in the long run.

[Just.Jump]

Some horses are just not meant to move quickly and lightly. I experienced this yesterday. My usual horse is a smaller, lighter mare who is very quick and a perfect dressage and jumping pony, but the horse that I rode was of a heavier build (he was a fjord) which didn't aid to the fact that he just isn't a true working horse. He is slow because he was not bred to be cantering around whole lessons, generally fjords are used in alot of carting. However, once I lowere dmy expectations and realized that no matter what, he will not move just the way I wanted him to, we clicked and he began working under me and keeping up a nice steady pace. As long as the horse isn't slowing to a trot/walk/stop, then it doesn't deserved to be punished, some horses are just as some say, lazy

[Bay Mare]

Some horses are just not meant to move quickly and lightly. I experienced this yesterday. My usual horse is a smaller, lighter mare who is very quick and a perfect dressage and jumping pony, but the horse that I rode was of a heavier build (he was a fjord) which didn't aid to the fact that he just isn't a true working horse. He is slow because he was not bred to be cantering around whole lessons, generally fjords are used in alot of carting.

You ought to see my friends' fjord! He not only canters round as well as the others he also jumps and has been used as a vaulting horse (his canter is very smooth and he keeps to a very good rhythm)! He has also done some dressage tests and did really well in them!

[ponylover88]

...

[Eli_Jay]

ponylover - NOT a good idea. this teaches the horse/pony to go blunt to the leg. the best method is to ask once lightly and if you don't get a response, give them a flick with the whip or ONE more slightly harder squeeze.
Kicking and kicking isn't a way to solve going slow, yes, for a little while they may go forwards, but long term you're making them slower and much duller.

[toohorsemad]

Yes i agree kicking and kicking does NOT work that why darkie is the way he is! Its my birthday today! I'm 15! My dads promised we go look at horses today aswell!

[Cool Rider]

my ridng school horse is slow because he is very old

[toohorsemad]

Most riding school ponies are old but what I'm saying is that most of them don't know the proper aids for transitions, well the beginner ones anyway because they have been retrained by the beginners to the harder you kick the hard you go!

[ridingstar]

Most of the school horses I ride are not very forward going. You have to get inside their mind and understand how they are thinking. They have lots of different people riding them, most of whom let them get away with not listening to them. I try to show them that I am different and that I expect them to obey my aids. Any disobedience at the start of the lesson (even at the walk) results in a sharp smack, followed if necessary by a hard whack. Most horses realise at his stage that you mean business and will give a much more energetic ride.

I believe that the occasional use of the whip is a lot better for both horse and rider than constantly kicking them in the sides.

[horseygal90]

He could just be bored... I think I posted on here recently about a cob at my riding school, she doesn't go in the school, falls over jumps, won't canter very well and when she does does flying changes all the way around (no idea why! She'll start off on the right leg, then change onto the wrong, then back again! Strange horse...) but when she's out hacking she has no brakes what so ever!

Is he like this out hacking as well?

Also, as others said, try not to nag nag nag, one way to deaden a horse to the leg!

Sometimes just holding a whip helps... Not using it, just holding it. Then when they perk up, you can hand it back and keep riding them with impulsion!

[hackedoff]

:rolleyes: read my first reply. All you do when you hit a horse is teach it to resent you, no-one at my yard is allowed to use a stick on any riding school pony and incredibly they all go forward! Hmmmm wonder why....?? (sorry this is a pet peeve)

[Crazyhorse]

I agree that crops should be used very moderately, as they are always going to be people who abuse their use. However, in some cases I do believe that a light tap is better than a flurry of flappy kicks. Sadly, this practice seems to be the norm at a lot of riding schools, where you see people booting a poor horse around. I think instructors should take responsibility also when they shout at their pupils " faster" when the poor horse is shattered from doing too many lessons. I have to say, that I too rode at a school that had a whip ban and the horses did all go forward beautifully. I tap my own leg instead of the horse and that is all that is necessary as a reminder! I hate it when people blame their horse automatically, sometimes if we anaylse our positions better we may realise why the horse isn't going foward.

[horseygal90]

Sorry HackedOff, did read it, but I didn't really understand - Do you just breath in, and lift your rib cage up or do something else?

[lizzy]

My horse does an hours pony club three nights a week and an hour on Saturday as he is quite lively and bucks if he doesn't work enough. I have to work full time to keep him and can only manage to ride him for about 1/2 hour in the week. We think he is a Section D/Arab X and sometimes he has the pony temperament to go with it.

He is very slow on the flat. He is one of the biggest plodders in the school and the little kids love him because at 14.3 he is a proper horse to them and not a pony. He is also bombproof (lives next door to the tank museum, has been a jousting pony).

BUT he loves to jump and absolutely flies round show jumps and cross country with me hanging on to him for dear life.

I do not think he is lazy, he just likes to expend his energy on what he enjoys.

I am sorry, ridingstar, but if you rode him and whacked him, as you think necessary, I would ask the YO not to let you ride him again. As his owner I have a say if I don't like the way he is ridden.

[hackedoff]

@ HG 90 - my remark wasnt aimed at you, I apologise if you were offended :o 'Life Up' means lift your energy, become large and have an uplifted and excited feeling, and 'Life Down' for braking/slowing is just the opposite! Google 'Steve Halfpenny' for a better explanation!

[Cheeky]

Some horses are just naturally slow (eg My Cheeky boy hehe) but there are a few things to help quicken the movement..

A great tip I got from a friend (which works a treat): If your walking around, think trot. When your trotting around, think canter. When your cantering around, think extended. Try to think about riding the next pace up ... works for me and raised my dressage score :) hehe ...

Another is too give him a good work out, keep him wanting to work ... and when you do canter, canter him well, let him stretch out and enjoy it ... most horses will speed up after a canter :) So ... shame, it looks like more canter is needed lol :)

Mm, I agree, dont keep kicking kicking, or jst a lonnnnnnnnnnnng squeeze :P Try tapping ** legs against him gentley ... thatll get his attention, and if he doesnt pick up the pace, think the next gait and kick a bit harder :)

Good luck

P.s. what breed is he? and how old...

[toohorsemad]

Darkie is one of those natural slow ponies! But yesterday we went xc and boy did he fly! I had to not jump 2 of them because he was coming way too fast into them! I was like a first time ever! I try to encourage him to have some fun and have a good gallop! At the same time when we were jumping a beehive this girl infront of me fell off and we were galloping towards the jump where she was lieing behind and we went from a very forward canter to a stop when I asked! So now I adore riding darkie!

[horseygal90]

@ HG 90 - my remark wasnt aimed at you, I apologise if you were offended :o 'Life Up' means lift your energy, become large and have an uplifted and excited feeling, and 'Life Down' for braking/slowing is just the opposite! Google 'Steve Halfpenny' for a better explanation!

Will do! Don't worry, was just curious!

[*toHorse&Away*]

I agree with a lot of the sensible comments posted here. Most of the riding school horses I get are very ploddy, plus its a late Satuday lesson so they have probably had enough by then!
I was very much havingt o flap kick to get them going and it does not help the horse, OK so they move a bit for a few strides and then fade back to plod and off you go repeating it all again. Not only is this probably very annoying for the horse (deadening them to the aids as mentioned) but I find it ruins seat and position which in turn make the whole thing harder as well as wearing the rider out for little or no effect.
I am also not a fan of using the crop unless absolutely neccessary. Its a total last resort!
I think the warm up is critical and that thinking forward (as mentioned above)works wonders, sometime I only have to think canter and off we go - maybe not wonderfully elegantly, but effectively enough to work from. Transitions are excellent to get the horse listening to you rather than following the tail of another horse. Circles, and changes of rein are helpful for balance of both.

So the best of luck to you - let us know how it works out! :)

[toohorsemad]

I can't buy darkie! :( The RDA said that he was too valuable to them and that he was never to be sold!

[NoviceNic]

I bought Captain from a riding school and he was a really lazy plod. Now it is only me riding him and we usually school 2x a week and then hack 3 x a week. I have noticed he is very lazy in the school. I think it is because they get soo fed up with doing the same thing everyday. I have used some fun things in the school to make him more interested. One thing he is really loving at the mo is jumping. He goes like a cob possessed when he see the jumps are set up in the menage. :p