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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
 
| Okay so let me start by saying I have a super nice gelding very fast and solid 1d/2d but he is so lazy! Riding I struggle to make him walk lol! He's like a slug? He's on a good diet I've had bloodworm done I just don't get it ? He runs and plays on the pasture? |
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 Veteran
Posts: 129
Location: South | I have a mare that is very similar to this. However she is young and just started seasoning. I have found that long trotting in a open pasture has helped her tremendously! I guess just the feeling of her not being in a closed environment (similar to an arena?) has helped her really open up and asking me to run. |
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  Witty Enough
Posts: 2954
 
Location: CTX | When you figure it out please let me know!!
My mare is soooo lazy.... I need to ride her with a whip.... But get her in the arena and she finds a couple more gears.... it is just keeping her legged up is no fun at all!!! |
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| trobertson - 2015-07-09 8:45 AM
I have a mare that is very similar to this. However she is young and just started seasoning. I have found that long trotting in a open pasture has helped her tremendously! I guess just the feeling of her not being in a closed environment (similar to an arena?) has helped her really open up and asking me to run.
I have an extremely lazy gelding too and the long trotting has really helped. I'm curious to see what other suggestions come up though! |
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Veteran
Posts: 129
Location: South | I found that tip on Heather Smith's Barrel Racing Tips fb page. She gives daily tips on all kinds of stuff. May check her out and see if she has others. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
Location: North Dakota | To me, there is a difference between a horse having a laid back personality and being downright lazy. One is a personality trait you can't change (laid back) and the other is a training issue you can fix (lazy).
When I am riding and I ask my horse for a specific gait or speed, it is the horse's job to MAINTAIN what I have asked. It is not my job to sit up there and have to constantly nag them to keep going. That's too much work for the rider and not any fun.
I've got a laid back 4-year-old that will be lazy if I let him .... so I don't let him! Here's what I've done with him to "cure" the lazy.
At a standstill, gently squeeze your legs to ask for a walk. If the horse does not immediately and briskly start walking, SMACK them once with the whip you have in your hand. Hard. Be ready for it as they should lunge forward as you should be hitting them hard enough to illicit such a response. Let them move out for a few strides then bring them back to a stop and ask again. Give a soft squeeze with your legs and if you do not get a brisk response into a walk, SMACK again. Rinse and repeat. Eventually, the horse will learn it is easier to just respond to your legs.
Make sure to never stop the "lesson" with the whip. You always want to end on them doing the right thing. When they do finally get it right, then allow them to continue to walk along.
You can use this same method when asking to go from a walk to a trot, or a trot to a lope, etc. Or even if you asked them to trot and they start to slow down to a walk or slow down in general.
Again, it is the horse's responsibility to take the gait that you have asked for, and maintain it.
If you are finding that you have to keep repeatedly asking your horse to go and your legs are getting tired ....... quit letting them be lazy!
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Lazyy barrel horse