# How do you get your lazy horses moving forward?



## Supertrooper (10 August 2011)

Just wondering what you do? Xx


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## horseless jorge! (10 August 2011)

If in a school, lots and lots of transitions. If schooling in the field, a good gallop up the wall side usually gets the adrenaline kicking in!


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## xRobyn (10 August 2011)

Start by;
Lifting my entire leg off of his side and then bringing it back down, on a long rein, if he breaks into a trot, fine, just bring him back, DO NOT hold him back.

Along with a bit of;
Tap my boot/saddle/edge of the arena with the whip to get him forward, reward when he keeps going, do it again when he slows down.

And;
Transitions! walk two strides, trot two strides, halt, trot, walk, trot, halt, rein back, walk etc. Sometimes I will also ask for canter, throw the reins at him and just push him on for a bit.


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## midi (10 August 2011)

Only things I've found that have had any effect is transitions, walk trot - since shes that lazy.
& the crop to back up my leg if no response / voice.


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## Chestnutmare (10 August 2011)

OMG I am having these issues too at the moment, I am not used to having such a lazy monkey ha ha I have been doing the walk trot transitions, doing some inclines circles etc in both walk and trot, but boy I am struggling my poor legs are aching so bad ha ha ha.

I will be investing in a schooling stick just to use as a back up more than anything really.


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## VioletStripe (10 August 2011)

Transitions transitions transitions! Someone on here once said to aim for 100 transitions per schooling session  Lots of circling and changing rein, just anything to get the adrenaline going and to mix it up to keep them interested. A schooling whip to give a short 'flick' can help, and I've often found it more effective than a 'smack' with a shorter whip, sorry for the rudimentary terms! Hacking more instead of going in the school the entire time will often give a horse more sparkle, if location permits. Also using your voice I've found can help get the horse more excited and interested! xx


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## Ibblebibble (10 August 2011)

slap on both sides of the neck with the loop of the reins usually wakes the old girl up  once she's realised i'm not going to let her plod she gives in and gives some good work, and if she starts to slack all i have to do is growl and she perks up again lol


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## Spendtoomuch (10 August 2011)

Try transitions within a pace if you know what I mean, so working trot, then medium trot, back to working trot and same in canter. This gets my lazy horse listening and more forwards.


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## jinglejoys (10 August 2011)

Old Picasso was a struggle when he first came.Riding just meant work and beatings so he just shut down.
 We started  by doing pleanty of Point to point along the track with eating and resting as the reward.The longer he took to get to the point I was aiming for the shorter the grazing/rest.The distances got longer  and so did the fun stops and now he doesn't and being ridden


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## BAILEY67 (10 August 2011)

Me too! 

Have just started a similar thread 

Must be something in the water with them all


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## spotty_pony (10 August 2011)

Give him a break from schooling and do some hacking! If he is lazy out hacking, then do plenty of transitions.


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## blitznbobs (10 August 2011)

transitions... no large movements with leg, just small movements backed up with a whip...


oh and 

hunting.... that works well too!!


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## Shilasdair (10 August 2011)

I am old fashioned, and believe that the horse must move forward off my leg.
If it doesn't react on the first (subtle) leg aid, I then give it another (equally subtle) leg aid.  Still no response - I repeat the subtle aid but combined with one good whack with a stick behind my leg.  Horse shoots forward, I give the rein, and tell it that it's good, with a stroke up the neck.
Then sit quiet until further aids required.
I do not believe in kicking harder - that's like shouting at someone who isn't listening.  I also think that booting them in the ribs is crueler and serves to desensitise them further to the leg aids.
So, I use a stick to reinforce my aid.
Having said that, the times I've had to 'get after' a horse are few and far between - they mostly seem to know you mean business without you having to do much.
S 

PS Now waiting for the 'horse beater' accusations to come pouring in - but a well disciplined horse has a future, a rude horse which is unpleasant to ride has none.


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## blitznbobs (10 August 2011)

Shilasdair said:



			I am old fashioned, and believe that the horse must move forward off my leg.
If it doesn't react on the first (subtle) leg aid, I then give it another (equally subtle) leg aid.  Still no response - I repeat the subtle aid but combined with one good whack with a stick behind my leg.  Horse shoots forward, I give the rein, and tell it that it's good, with a stroke up the neck.
Then sit quiet until further aids required.
I do not believe in kicking harder - that's like shouting at someone who isn't listening.  I also think that booting them in the ribs is crueler and serves to desensitise them further to the leg aids.
So, I use a stick to reinforce my aid.
Having said that, the times I've had to 'get after' a horse are few and far between - they mostly seem to know you mean business without you having to do much.
S 


.
		
Click to expand...

That's what I meant...

oh and hunting...


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## Shilasdair (10 August 2011)

blitznbobs said:



			That's what I meant...

oh and hunting... 

Click to expand...

  
S


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## angelish (10 August 2011)

Shilasdair said:



			I am old fashioned, and believe that the horse must move forward off my leg.
If it doesn't react on the first (subtle) leg aid, I then give it another (equally subtle) leg aid.  Still no response - I repeat the subtle aid but combined with one good whack with a stick behind my leg.  Horse shoots forward, I give the rein, and tell it that it's good, with a stroke up the neck.
Then sit quiet until further aids required.
I do not believe in kicking harder - that's like shouting at someone who isn't listening.  I also think that booting them in the ribs is crueler and serves to desensitise them further to the leg aids.
So, I use a stick to reinforce my aid.
Having said that, the times I've had to 'get after' a horse are few and far between - they mostly seem to know you mean business without you having to do much.
S 

PS Now waiting for the 'horse beater' accusations to come pouring in - but a well disciplined horse has a future, a rude horse which is unpleasant to ride has none.
		
Click to expand...

how come u don't get your throat jumped down for suggesting you whack it  
see other post  it seems i need to be more tactful in my wording of replies so as not to upset some people  lol


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## Shilasdair (10 August 2011)

angelish said:



			how come u don't get your throat jumped down for suggesting you whack it  
see other post  it seems i need to be more tactful in my wording of replies so as not to upset some people  lol
		
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They are all too busy flaming you to bother with little old me.  
You are a fantastic decoy.
S


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## TheEquineOak (10 August 2011)

Shilasdair said:



			I am old fashioned, and believe that the horse must move forward off my leg.
If it doesn't react on the first (subtle) leg aid, I then give it another (equally subtle) leg aid.  Still no response - I repeat the subtle aid but combined with one good whack with a stick behind my leg.  Horse shoots forward, I give the rein, and tell it that it's good, with a stroke up the neck.
Then sit quiet until further aids required.
I do not believe in kicking harder - that's like shouting at someone who isn't listening.  I also think that booting them in the ribs is crueler and serves to desensitise them further to the leg aids.
So, I use a stick to reinforce my aid.
Having said that, the times I've had to 'get after' a horse are few and far between - they mostly seem to know you mean business without you having to do much.
S 

PS Now waiting for the 'horse beater' accusations to come pouring in - but a well disciplined horse has a future, a rude horse which is unpleasant to ride has none.
		
Click to expand...

Great advice!

Ask once, really ask twice, then thwack the third time. I really good gallop opens them up too.

I have one amazingly forward going young man after using this technique.


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## LisaS (10 August 2011)

Well my usually very energetic boy is also being a lazy git..... 

In our group lesson tonight, our instructor who knows him well said that he was taking the 'p' and as has been said on here that if he did not respond to the leg command to re-in force with a light tap, worked a treat


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## PoppyAnderson (10 August 2011)

All of the above plus, get your horse super fit, add a bit of sparkly food, empathetic & discrete use of spurs and carry 2 whips, which tends to propel forward far more effectively than just 1. Oh and send horse to superb rider who truely believes that forwards means forwards and really knows what off the leg should feel like!


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## angelish (10 August 2011)

Shilasdair said:



			They are all too busy flaming you to bother with little old me.  
You are a fantastic decoy.
S 

Click to expand...

ah ok  
mind got to say you worded it a whole lot better i just dived right in there wish "whack it" 
oopsy

sorry op some fantastic advice already good luck with your horse 
oh could add, i once added some jumps into my schooling and popped them now and again to keep him on the ball


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## Shilasdair (10 August 2011)

angelish said:



			ah ok  
mind got to say you worded it a whole lot better i just dived right in there wish "whack it" 
oopsy

sorry op some fantastic advice already good luck with your horse 
oh could add, i once added some jumps into my schooling and popped them now and again to keep him on the ball 

Click to expand...

It's due to my outstanding tact and diplomacy that I have so many posts, yet never an enforced holiday. 
Either that, or I just have the knack of insulting people politely.
S


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## bumblelion (10 August 2011)

Shilasdair said:



			I am old fashioned, and believe that the horse must move forward off my leg.
If it doesn't react on the first (subtle) leg aid, I then give it another (equally subtle) leg aid.  Still no response - I repeat the subtle aid but combined with one good whack with a stick behind my leg.  Horse shoots forward, I give the rein, and tell it that it's good, with a stroke up the neck.
Then sit quiet until further aids required.
I do not believe in kicking harder - that's like shouting at someone who isn't listening.  I also think that booting them in the ribs is crueler and serves to desensitise them further to the leg aids.
So, I use a stick to reinforce my aid.
Having said that, the times I've had to 'get after' a horse are few and far between - they mostly seem to know you mean business without you having to do much.
S 

PS Now waiting for the 'horse beater' accusations to come pouring in - but a well disciplined horse has a future, a rude horse which is unpleasant to ride has none.
		
Click to expand...

^^^^this!!^^^^


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## Silmarillion (10 August 2011)

No-one has mentioned swishy stick yet, so I will - one of my many tactics is to turn my schooling whip upside down and swish it about. Not only does my elephant-sized lump move, her backside engages in shock! I only have to turn it upside down now and she's rocket-powered. No whacking required - though that is one of my other tactics, the method Shils describes.

I really wish I could hunt her...


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## JenHunt (10 August 2011)

as others have said... endless transitions. You need to be really really strict with yourself and the horse - ask for an instant response and a continued response and get stroppy about it when it doesn't happen.

Ron was ultra lazy and disrespectful of the leg when I got him. He's now a rocket and so in front of the leg he's a joy to ride. He keeps his pace so even and regular until you tell him you want something different. Makes hacking a doddle! 

ETA - basically what Shils describes is what I mean....


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## skychick (10 August 2011)

My mare is clever...only works as hard as she has to!! So I vary her work, hack, galloping in the field, schooling etc. She is v lazy in summer, so she has a nudge, a squeeze, and then a tickle with my schooling whip (and I mean a tickle not a tap or smack) LOADS of transitions especially halt to trot and trot to halt wakes her up a bit....failing that....jumping!! Suddenly we are both enthusiastic!! We are perfectly matched


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## jeeve (10 August 2011)

if you are working in an arena, get out and go hacking, lots of long straight lines, not lots of little circles.

break your schooling up so that you have hacking a couple of times a week


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## skychick (10 August 2011)

Although...don't know ifanyone else has the problem with having a too cleverer horse who when doing transitions decides to be clever and anticipates a halt after 1 transition, throws one in early and makes u look like a prat! We think we are schooling them...sometimes I wonder if it's the other way round! Dam clever mare!


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