Very lazy horse!!

lauren123

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Feb 3, 2007
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East Yorkshire
So i am planning on schooling tomorrow.
Though i have got into a bad habbit of riding buckle end on hacks. So when it comes to the school i find it hard to keep the contact. The other issue is sox finds schooling boring and it very lazy. I do feel like i am constantly nagging him! He is dead to my leg. A previous instructor said i need a whip or spurs.
I do try to mix things up with pole work but he quickly gets bored. Any tips for a very lazy horse in the school? And to keeo him interested.
 
If you have a field use that as well, mine is a lot more forwards.

For schooling I keep the sessions short, 30 minutes, to work on whatever I want be working on and I carry a schooling whip. I tend to follow the same warm up pattern because that way she knows what we are in the school for- to do some work. I won't nag, you step up. I only school once a week, sometimes field sometimes school.

I have 12 different pole patterns so we never get bored of them. Though I do on occasion not have out at all or use cones to mark areas etc.
 
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I ride a very lazy horse called Ivoire - his favourite pace is halt....

First, you need to start of as you mean to carry on - a good active walk from the block - don't nag, ask clearly and firmly (I won't use spurs!) and then let them get on with it, try and catch any falling off in pace quickly and give them a sharp reminder. One good ask rather than constant nagging.

Ask for lots of changes in pace and direction, keep it varied, I ride squares and cloverleafs as well as halt / walk in different places, turns on the forehand, loops, shoulder in, neck flexing in and out, leg yields and half passes - variety will keep their interest.

To get them off your leg I ride in a 20 metre circle and ask for walk trot transitions - if they don't go immediately reinforce with a strong aid / whip, and then bring them back to walk and ask again - repeat until they are responding immediately.

Ride at walk so that they are just on the verge of trot - never just dawdle around.
 
I think you said you are having lessons now? I found that having regular lessons turned Raf from being very lazy in the school into actually quite willing. He would head for the school in a very workmanlike manner and was keen to break into trot and get going as soon as we got in there. I'm not sure how or why it happened, and it obviously wasn't instant - probably took a few months - maybe the same will happen to Sox?
 
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If you have a field use that as well, mine is a lot more forwards.

For schooling I keep the sessions short, 30 minutes, to work on whatever I want be working on and I carry a schooling whip. I tend to follow the same warm up pattern because that way she knows what we are in the school for- to do some work. I won't nag, you step up. I only school once a week, sometimes field sometimes school.

I have 12 different pole patterns so we never get bored of them. Though I do on occasion not have out at all or use cones to mark areas etc.

I like using poles that i can use for different things. But i also struggle to motivate myself sometimes. Hacking he is much more willing however his attention is normally on everything but me!

I ride a very lazy horse called Ivoire - his favourite pace is halt....

First, you need to start of as you mean to carry on - a good active walk from the block - don't nag, ask clearly and firmly (I won't use spurs!) and then let them get on with it, try and catch any falling off in pace quickly and give them a sharp reminder. One good ask rather than constant nagging.

Ask for lots of changes in pace and direction, keep it varied, I ride squares and cloverleafs as well as halt / walk in different places, turns on the forehand, loops, shoulder in, neck flexing in and out, leg yields and half passes - variety will keep their interest.

To get them off your leg I ride in a 20 metre circle and ask for walk trot transitions - if they don't go immediately reinforce with a strong aid / whip, and then bring them back to walk and ask again - repeat until they are responding immediately.

Ride at walk so that they are just on the verge of trot - never just dawdle around.
I have been trying really hard recently to así him nicely once then a strong kick and afterwards leave him alone until i feel him slowing. I like doing figure of 8s, 20 meter circle into a 3 loop . He does fall in though. I like a Active trot however my RI says i sometimes almost push him out of his natural pace yet to ride it doesnt feel like it is Active if that makes sense?

I think you said you are having lessons now? I found that having regular lessons turned Raf from being very lazy in the school into actually quite willing. He would head for the school in a very workmanlike manner and was keen to break into trot and get going as soon as we got in there. I'm not sure how or why it happened, and it obviously wasn't instant - probably took a few months - maybe the same will happen to Sox?
Yes i am having lessons :)
At the moment sox still has the energy of a beach donkey when we head to the school..
Hopefully yes.

I went for a short walk up the hill afterwards coming back down he was fine. When we got on the flat part,almost home. I was trying to get him to move of my ket left and right suddenly we are cantering down the road!! He got spooked by a car on some gravel,a dog barking and a bike creeping up behind us.

Ideally the plan is to school a max of twice a week,if that. The sessions are short st the moment anyway. 20-30 mins normally. With 5-10 mins warming up and cooling down afterwards. I would like to try and hack mainly and if i find any fields to school while out.
Currently he is working roughly around 3-4 days per week still. I would like to increase it to 5 possibly. However i shall see how he goes. At present he appears to be managing well.
 
Sounds to me like your problem in the school & your problem hacking are actually the same - he isn't paying attention to you & you aren't making him. Hacking it shows as spooking & sudden canters, in the school as switching off & being lazy. Make yourself worth listening to!

In the school make sure you're motivated - if you aren't then why should he be? Be clear & correct in your requests, get on his case if he ignores them & praise immediately if he gets it right. Don't go round forever on your 20m circle/figure of 8/3 loop serpentine but when you do do them make them correct so no leaning in or falling out. If he gives you a nice circle with correct bend then praise him & go and do something easy for a few minutes, don't carry on until it goes wrong. Likewise if he's getting it wrong don't carry on in the hope that it'll miraculously sort itself out, it won't unless you do something about it.

Hacking on a long rein is fine, but not if he's going to spook or not pay attention to you. That's dangerous to you & everyone around you. He doesn't have to be in a school outline but have a contact & keep his mind on you. If things like a car on gravel, dogs barking & a bike coming up behind him result in him cantering on the road then I honestly don't think he should be on the roads.

Never forget the value of praise when you train. Who do you try harder for, the person who always moans at you & says nothing you do is right or the person who says thank you & how well you've done? Horses aren't so very different & a ride is seldom so bad that you can't find small things to praise.
 
Have a plan, if you go in with something to aim for you will be more decisive about what you are asking and that will help get his attention, keep it and keep him motivated. And whatever your plan is, stop once you have achieved it or it just becomes mindless drilling and no one likes being drilled. I often get off after just 10 or 15 minutes if we have achieved what I set out to do, it's demoralizing for everyone to have the goal posts suddenly moved......I just want you to do this.....oh you did that well, so I guess you can do this as well (imagine that conversation between you and your boss when you are waiting to leave work, it's kind of the same thing to the horse :))

I would make a 6 week plan, decide where you hope to be in 6 weeks and break it into 6 steps, your first session each week will be teaching the new thing, the 2nd practicing it, then next week your review the previous weeks and move on to your next thing (so they obviously should be sequential). Teaching complex maneuvers will take more than 1 or 2 sessions that's not what I am talking about, I am talking about aims like 'achieve active walk', 'get a clean walk to trot transition', 'get him stepping through', 'get good bend', 'get consistent in the bridle' etc. Before each session picture what you want to achieve and how it will feel and go for it, at the end of 6 weeks if you achieved each of those things and have gradually added them together, you will have a horse who is all round improved :)
 
I think the lack of attention is a two way street.
Mine does like to have a nosey when we hack out, I do the same. I do let her go on to a long rein but not a loose no contact rein, I can feel something even if it's barely anything. I am more likely to do the reins in one hand.
She knows I am there and I give a scratch as praise as she likes scratches.

However we misunderstood each other at the end of a hack when I took her in the field to walk round and cool off.
She forgot her manners and plopped down to roll and I went out the side door.
I do think it was 50/50 her shocking lack of manners and my lack of attention. But great timing as it was April Fools Day.
 
However we misunderstood each other at the end of a hack when I took her in the field to walk round and cool off.
She forgot her manners and plopped down to roll and I went out the side door.
I do think it was 50/50 her shocking lack of manners and my lack of attention. But great timing as it was April Fools Day.

I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting that and it made me LOL. You do have a way with words :D Hope you and saddle were ok.
 
My plan tonight was tránsitions. I did whst you all said kept it short and sweet. Didnt ask too much. Made my signals clear. Se had a very Active walk and when going back to walk actually he would jog a little in readiness for when i asked for trot :D
 
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That's good :) . Just watch the jogging though as long as your aids are clear so he isn't misunderstanding you it's a bit of an evasion - easier to jog than do clear transitions - and a sign that he's still not paying full attention to you.
 
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