So I just got back our 5 year old from the trainer. He spent about 90 days plus over there. I honestly thought the horse would be in better shape, hes kinda fat and soft :-/  I asked the trainer about it, in a matter of fact, way like I thought hed be a lot trimmer and muscled . He blamed it on the feed I've been bringing him. Anyway... we got him home and he rides fine... hes just so crazy LAZY like i have to kick him hard to get him to move out... and then he just wants to jog slow.  I think I get more of a workout than he does trying to get him to hustle out.. I want to gallop him but its painful to even keep him in a lope ... we tried him on the smarty steer and he seemed more motivated to move out then and hes got a fantastic butt dragging stop. I'm beginning to start to pattern him but hes honestly so dang lazy it makes me nuts! I even reached back and popped him with the rein because he kept trying to stop when I was loping. The trainer did mention that he may or may not have the speed. I know hes never been asked to run with a rider on his back so I'm trying to be patient and I'm riding daily to try to get him in better shape and switching feeds. I've never ridden such a lazy horse! I've seen him haul booty across the pasture and he smokes my big horse so I know hes capable of running sick fast. Is there anything I can do that will help motivate this guy under saddle?? Hes wearing me out.. I ride him first because I'd have no energy if I rode him last , I ride 3 a day out here. 

There's laid back, which is a personality trait. And then there's LAZY, which is a learned behavior.

If you have to always "nag" on him to keep moving and it's making your legs tired, then stop nagging. Starrt with him at a standstill. Gently squeeze with your legs to ask him to move forward. If he does not instantly and briskly respond to your leg squeeze and move into a nice walk, then SMACK him with a whip in the rump. Hard. You want him to lurge forward. Let him go a few strides, then stop him, and try again. Gently squeeze with your legs. Again, if he does not instantly and briskly respond to your leg squeeze to move into a walk, SMACK him. Rinse and repeat as many times as necessary, but quite honestly if you do it correctly, you shouldn't have to do it more than a couple times. When he finally responds quickly to that leg squeeze, along him to walk on. Never "end the lesson" on a smack (don't allow him to walk on after you've smacked him).

And you can do the same for asking for a trot, or asking for a lope. You can also do the same for him to MAINTAIN the speed you have asked him to go (such as staying at the trot).

Then YOU need to be consistent when you ride him. Always expect a brisk response to your leg cues, and make sure you correct him when he doesn't. If you are not consistent, then it's not fair to him on when you smack him and when you don't, so most of the responsibility falls on the part of the rider to be fair and consistent to the horse.

Again, being lazy and having to "nag" on a horse to keep going is something they are taught by the rider, for a rider that allows them to do that.

I truly think some horses we have to “train” how to run with us on them. I have a mare like then. She worked great in the round pen, but once saddled she did not know how to carry herself. This summer (she is 4) after conditioning her to be able to stay collected in a small circle with me on her I started breezing her some. It took her a lot to building that conditioning to be able to hold shape with me on her. Mine pepped right up. However, if that does not work, you could always try feeding him hotter.

Thanks. His personality has always been pretty laid back .... even when he was a yearling. He got a pretty late start in training, to be honest.. no fault of his own. I figured with him being at the trainer he would have been more physically fit. I get him to high lope and 2 times around my pen hes wore out it seems. I had gone over to our trainers several times while he was there and he would ride him maybe 20 minutes at the most at a time. I'd pull the hot heels for him so he could get him on it. It's like hes way more motivated when in pursuit of the machine or even live cattle he tracked.  I rode him with spurs the other day and it didnt make a bit of difference I didnt feel comfortable with them on because of how much I needed to keep my leg in him. I doubt he would even be able to hold a lope in a tighter circle right now. Theres no forward motion, definitely no 4 wheel drive! He will bridle up very easily and hold his frame when asked but you really need to drive him up into it. It may take me a while to get him to where I like them to be. This guy had his mind set we were going to sell this horse to him. He wanted him the first time we dropped him over there to be started. That was almost 3 years ago. This time around he came at us with a pretty good offer and my husband and him shook on it. A few days later he called and said he couldn't buy him, he had too many to sell. So we just told him we wanted another 30 days on him and we'd get him home. The day before I was to pick up he called him with an offer 1000 less than what we agreed on and said we wouldn't owe him for the last 30 days he put on him. Ummm no thanks bud.. we arent taking less than what we agreed on so basically you got paid to train your own horse. I hooked up and went a got him and left the check for training. This horses primary job is going to be for heeling and breakaway and I wanted him to know the barrels as well because I always thought of him being extremely athletic and quick. So right now, he knows his leads,  he knows how to slide into a stop, sidepass, hes doing simple lead changes and you can rope the machine on him and track steers. He never got to roping live steers on him. I took him home because we couldn't afford to keep him there anymore, he also didnt have the slow steers he needed for a horse just starting out, they are way too big and fast for a green horse. 

My 4 year old is the same way. I usually ride her last because I'm to tired to do anybody else after lol. Lopeing small circles on Sweetness is my leg day Haha.

That said shes beyond safe and broke. My 5 year old and 7 year old both ride her all over the yard whiel I'm working my other horses. She is fancy broke too and will do all the moves you just got to ask she gives nothing away for free.

I work alot of upward transitions on her, and with her, I ask nice once then it's a firm tell, she is coming along beautifully on the pattern as well. She will always just be a push horse and that's ok, you can't work her up or get her hot and she takes scary new arenas things like a seasoned horse shes just beyond mellow and I really like that. Shes such a road dork too, blows bubbles in her water hangs her head on buckets to sleep shes a fun horse.

this is her<3

It's barely been a week since hes been home so hopefully with more time he will pick up some. I'd prefer them quiet as well instead of nutso. I think his training has been so slow that's just the way he thinks hes supposed to be. Hes definitely not been rushed. He rides around like a reiner at times. Very low headed, he was working on getting his head up for roping. After we work some I rest my hand on his neck and he will walk around with his head way down. I walk him around the barrels now and he turns them perfectly with very little guidance from me. Its pretty nice actually. I think he will eventually be a pretty fun ride, hes got a Cadillac trot and lope ... very smooth 

That exactly it, I honestly never worry or stress if they are lazy so long as they dont have a tantrum if you make them work. They eventually get it and find thier thing, especially with ropeing, once they learn it and if they love it they will track the cattle at proper speeds and not need nagged 

My guy is lazy to. Matter of fact he gave me a workout today. Oh my legs  :(    When I got him back from my trainer, he said, the only thing I can fault this colt on is he can be lazy. But then he made a good comment. He said, it's easier to build a fire than to put one out. Watching slyder work the pattern with Randy showed me that slyder may be lazy but he can work a set of barrels really well & he can move when asked. I read an article on Hailey Kinsal which gave me hope. She said Sister was very lazy when she first started training her. She said she was concerned that Sister would be to lazy for barrels, but wow, look at her now :)  I'm not going to fret about slyder. He is 5 & behind in his training at no fault of his. I just had some of lifes issues to deal with. We will catch up

This gives me hope :-)  I love that " easier to build a fire than to put 1 out "   that's very true. Hes really a very nice horse, smaller than I like, but hes still got some filling out to do, I think. I keep my stirrups a little shorter when I ride him so I dont feel like I'm a giant lol! Hes quick to learn and very cowy .. hes my sweetest horse in the barn, first to meet you at the gate and has never tried anything stupid in his life. I appreciate those kinds nowadays haha! I'll give him more time and keep working with him. 

My gelding is the definition of lazy. He would prefer to live his life without moving, he lays down and sleeps for 12 hours of the day. Can't tell you how many people have called me saying he's colicing, no he's napping leave him alone. I have to ask for every inch of every step riding. One day I grabbed a dressage whip and when he didn't move his feet after I asked him to he got a quick whack. Didn't take him long. Now if I carry a crop he rides pretty fired up, don't have to use it. Or if I put my over/under in my hand he scoots. But to this day, 13 years since I got him, I still get exhausted riding him. Some days I'll rubber band the crop to my wrist and let it just hang there & he moves out like a freight train. But when he comes to the gate or alley to make a run at a barrel race it doesn't take much to hit the gas. Then he finishes the run, stops, and goes back to what I call nap walking to cool out & go back to the trailer. Take him on a trail rid though and he voluntarily walks fast enough he can keep up with the gaited horses, he just struts. Maybe a trail ride here or there would help yours, see if he has more umph. 

I did this to my lazy guy today. Not a dressage whip, I had a bat & when I asked him to move off & he flipped me the tail he got a sting on his butt & he woke up & thought, oh crap, mom means buisness

I would try breezing him some. That will help him find his speed under saddle and make him realize he can move on out.