Lazy Horse

[Vez]

Hi,

I have a 13.3hh pony called Willow. She tends to be very lazy on
a ride till its time to go home. I don't want to have to keep using my legs all the time and when I use a whip she speeds up for a few seconds but then goes back to a really slow pace.

Do u have any suggetions on how to make her less lazy?

Vez xx

[teapot]

Lots of transitions out hacking or in the school so you're keeping her on her toes.

Don't be afraid whilst you're schooling to use your whip - one short smack is better then 20 jabs in the ribs.

Be firm with her - if you ask for a trot and she trots 10 strides later. Come back to walk, ask again and use your stick. She's making your work twice as hard so she can have an easy life.

It'll take time, but you've got be prepared to say NO, I want you to go when I say go.

Try, doing a 20m circle, as say at A and then X (if you're in a 20 by 40 school) go back to a walk. Then back up to trot. It's a fab exercise, one I do a lot to get horses off my leg. So you're trotting the circle, then walking at x, then say 5 strides later, pick the trot back up.

And maybe change your hacking routes as she obviously knows when she's heading home. Although every horse I've ridden knows when they're about 5mins from home

[summerguest]

I recently watched a video 'dressage for jumping' and they explained the following exercise for a lazy horse.

Ride in walk with your legs still and against the ponys sides, halt your pony, take your legs away from his sides, leave a few seconds for your pony to register your absent legs, then give a good pony club kick....repeat until the pony starts to anticipate the kick, and moves off from your legs coming away from his sides, reward him when he starts to do this. Be consistant, keep legs in contact with his sides but still, always remove the legs/wait before applying leg aid ( kick) to start with. you can start to make the kick more of a nudge, but I found my horse now respongs to my legs just coming away from his sides.....so much easier for you, and nicer for the horse.

Don't nag with legs inbetween aids,s only use the legs when the pony slows down, and expect a response. The pony should learn to continue at whatever speed / pace you have asked for until you give him another aid to either slow down/ speed up/ or make a transition etc

[Vez]

Thanks I'll try. I normally do lots of transitions on rides and she gets better but as soon as I stop she goes back to being lazy. It is dead annoying when i'm out with my mate cos I don't get chance to do transitions so shes lazy and i end up usin my leg alot. I try using my whip better so I don't end up being really tierd and her doing no work!!

[Vez]

Ride in walk with your legs still and against the ponys sides, halt your pony, take your legs away from his sides, leave a few seconds for your pony to register your absent legs, then give a good pony club kick....repeat until the pony starts to anticipate the kick, and moves off from your legs coming away from his sides, reward him when he starts to do this. Be consistant, keep legs in contact with his sides but still, always remove the legs/wait before applying leg aid ( kick) to start with. you can start to make the kick more of a nudge, but I found my horse now respongs to my legs just coming away from his sides.....so much easier for you, and nicer for the horse.



How long did it take for your horse to learn?

[Vez]

Ride in walk with your legs still and against the ponys sides, halt your pony, take your legs away from his sides, leave a few seconds for your pony to register your absent legs, then give a good pony club kick....repeat until the pony starts to anticipate the kick, and moves off from your legs coming away from his sides, reward him when he starts to do this. Be consistant, keep legs in contact with his sides but still, always remove the legs/wait before applying leg aid ( kick) to start with. you can start to make the kick more of a nudge, but I found my horse now respongs to my legs just coming away from his sides.....so much easier for you, and nicer for the horse.



How long did it take for your horse to learn this?

[summerguest]

About 5 minutes! started with halt walk transitions, then when he understood that,, practiced keeping walk active using same method, then onto walk trot transition, then canter etc.
He picked it up really quickly, but every now and again I would have to remind him by doing the 'pony club kick' if he started to ignore my nudge, or legs away.

[Vez]

Thankyou, I thought I better ask because if she dosen't do for ages I know I'm doing something wrong.:D

[summerguest]

The horses pick it up quite quickly....its much harder for us riders to get out of the habbit of nagging with the legs.
Make sure your legs are hanging soft and round his barrel, with back of leg stretched down into the heel (without forcing or stiffening ankle joint)

When you use your legs don't constrict calf or bring up heel.
keep your leg hanging down and nudge the horse in a forwards and inwards movement.

Again...if you are used to using your heels.....it will take real concentration on your part to kick forwards with long leg, as you will automatically withdraw leg and kick with heel the minute you go on autopilot...

Eventually your new ways will become habbit and you wont have to keep thinking about it.

Hope it works....It has for my horse....I'm still battling with my old habbits! and as I'm quite old...they are well ingrained.