lazy ponies

[Deleted]

Pearl is lazy , the vet has checked her out, there's nothing wrong, she's just lazy, I find it very annoying. all my other horses love to go, if anything they have to be held back.
does ANYONE have lazy ponies???

[olivia]

I wouldn't call Tilly lazy, but she is laid back and she isn't a whizzy sort. She also has to want to do whatever it is your asking, cause you sure as hell ain't gonna MAKE her do anything

Fitness also has a lot to do with it - it's not fair to expect Tilly to work for too long or too fast with the limited fitness she has at the moment.

All the time I've owned Tilly (since she wasn't even 3) I have been very clear with her that I expect a reaction from her when I ask something - I try very hard not to nag with my legs but when I use them I want a response. And if she doesn't respond then she gets a much firmer ask. I think this has meant that although she isn't a reactive horse and doesn't go charging off at the slightest thing she's not a horse you have to ask repeatedly to get her to move up a gear.

She has even managed to convert the YO who admits he wasn't the biggest cob fan (because he thought they were all lazy unresponsive things). Now he's got used to the fact that when his daughters go careering off on their sports horses Tilly will take a bit longer to get there he always says that she is a nice ride.

To be honest I wouldn't want it any other way - I'm a scaredy cat rider and I don't want a horse that goes charging off at the slightest thing. Just like I don't want a horse I have to nag every step of a ride. I think Tilly is the perfect mix

[Debbie]

Blossom's been the most straightforwards and complicated equine I've encountered yet. I have to pull out a lot of tricks from my bag. She can be highly reactive and a blunt bully all at the same time

What this has meant is that I need to be very clear with her what I'm expecting. Much like I did with dog training, I ask once very lightly, I ensure that she understands what I want and I can be as patient as a saint to ensure she really does understand, and then I take no faffing. So she goes from light ask to I MEAN NOW! *crash of thunder*

As we don't do any form of riding, and minimal groundwork due to my kidneys, I try to set up our interactions so that Blossom fully understands what I mean because I've got to follow through to the nth degree when she doesn't. That also means I've got to do a lot of my 'fighting' mentally instead of physically.

You also have to expect. If you want Beauty to move lightly off from your leg, ask, then TELL. Do not nag, because they mentally tune you out. Its like the kid hearing the parent threaten a thousand and one times a day. They know the parent isn't going to back up anything they say, so they tune out the parent. Same thing with a pony. Ask, make sure she understands, then instantly back it up with as much force needed to get the response, then leave her be. Once she's in the pace you want, let her carry on the job of remaining in that pace, and don't continue to nag. She knows how to walk/trot/canter, so let her get on with it. Correct her only when she breaks the pace.

And as Olivia pointed out, you do need to make sure Beauty's fit enough to do the task at hand. If you know she's not very fit, don't ask for three laps of canter before making her stop, ask only for 1/4 of a lap, or 1/2 and stop her before she gets tired. That way she won't dread going faster.

I also don't know what level of riding you're at with her, but some of the sluggishness may also be down to her being bored. If you're schooling, you might try to liven up the arena. Place different objects or obstacles in the arena. At first do nothing with them, just let them be there for an added scenery bonus and ask for transitions, later you can incorporate them into your riding, trying different handy pony types of work.

Don't forget groundwork. If you feel she's not respecting you and is sluggish as a result, or if you're introducing something that could be extremely exciting or scary under saddle, do groundwork with her instead. In other words, if you want her to go over to where you can pick up a flag and carry it to another point in the area, it might be wiser to hand walk her over to the flag first, do some sacking out, then slowly build up to draping the folded flag over her, sack out thoroughly with the fully open flag waving about and then drape it or hold it upright as you lead her to another section of the arena.

Unless she's already very trusting of you, that whole sequence would need to be broken down into however many baby steps she needs in order to accept seeing the flag, and becoming comfortable with it on the ground and then eventually with you in the saddle.

You can do the same with rattly sacks, stuffed toys, colourful umbrellas, raincoats, all sorts of things. Any of it might liven her up and make it seem like a lot more fun.

Ground poles set in different patterns might help too. I don't know if she has natural challenges in her paddock or not, but Linda Tellington-Jones has some various patterns in her book that ask the pony to lift their feet and to work their way around poles in various configurations. This engages them mentally as they have to lift their feet and pick around what they are doing. Again I'd do that inhand first, at the lowest level to make sure Beauty is able to do what you're asking, then advance to riding over it in the saddle. Its very much like what she'd encounter if you were out trail riding and came across fallen logs.

Cross training can be very helpful if she's bored. Sometimes teaching an english trained pony to do pole bending or barrel racing is a fun way to liven up a burnt out pony. Start very slowly, then build up to trotting the barrels or poles and finally switch to canter.

[olivia]

oooh also to add - I do try very hard not to over correct Tilly if she responds TOO much to a request. She does have a habit of offering canter when I ask for trot at the beginning of schooling sessions - she doesn't charge off - just breaks into canter. As she is doing what I want (i.e. reacting to a request to go faster) I just sit there let her canter a few strides and then quietly bring her back to trot.

She doesn't do it all the time - just when she's feeling keen/enthusiastic/excited (so at the clinic at Gill's she was much more whizzy than she normally is) - so I'm not worried about it becoming an ingrained thing. She always settles and calms down, so I don't want to crush her forwardness. Therefore I don't respond like I might if I was on (for example!) a whizzy TB who did that and who needs to know very clearly that's not acceptable.

[valerie n scout]

Scout isnt Dales but is x

[mickey]

I find lots of transitions at the start helps- with the emphasis on reacting immediately. Ask once, tell the 2nd time. Doing turn on the forehand also got Oz listening to the leg more.
A varied work load also helps- schooling all the times can switch them off.

[knight]

Good & interesting comments from everyone, as always. Knight begs to add that some ponies are just extremely good at energy conservation and don't waste energy on things they don't see much point to. Is Pearl different in the school than on a trail ride? Knight is not always bursting with enthusiasm to just go around in circles in the school but he comes to life when you get out on the trails. He does get a bit bored schooling, as Debbie says, so I do try to liven it up with poles, barrels, old tires, poles, all kinds of stuff can make novel things to work around. (Knight adds that a few pony treats never hurt either.)

[harveydales]

Lots of very good advice and suggestions here. Not much more I can add.

Harvey (my dressage star) would probably be considered lazy. Many people (including me much of the time) find him hard to get going but I really don't think it is lazyness. He is very sensitive and intelligent. It is his nature to "go into himself" when he is tense or worried so at competitions he can sometimes go VERY sticky or if the rider is restricting him in some way he will appear lazy.

He does get bored easily so needs variety and mental stimulation. Introducing lots of different lateral movements help, taking care not to nag with the leg - again something I find very difficult. Some days he needs to have a good gallop or some jumping fun so I get some one else to do this as I'm not brave enough!

It is very different riding the "Harvey/Pearl" types to the more goey types where you just hold the energy but I honestly think if you work at it, the so called lazy types will produce the better work in the end and will teach you a lot. They are all sweat but no tears. lol

I know you are keen on dressage and you have a wonderful pony in Pearl. Do you have some one on the ground to help you? Stick at it - you have a real star there.

[DalesLady]

We have a quieter one in Joanne, but she has been a superstar! Just right for hacking safely and perfect for me although I rarely get to ride. She has done everything and is now excelling at Dressage! She has a thoughtful and quiet temperament and thinks things through before not flinging herself in to anything!

Nic found her frustrating at first but I think she really appreciates how well and calm Joanne is with everything now. Nicola did have to teach Joanne to be more confident in herself and perhaps that is all that is needed - it did take a good deal of time though, but they became a real team based on trust and I think anyone who has seen Nicola and Joanne together will agree that is what they see.

[Daftmare]

Jake is bone idle, does no more than is asked and does no more than he is willingto offer, but hes a good boy and anyone from tots to more advanced riders can ride him. Hes far better fully clipped in winter with a few oats in him but I guess you cant have it always, often forward and speedy is not safe and reliable and sometimes I think its nicer to be able to relax! Although I do find the carrying of a long schooling whip helps him to travel forwards :-)

[harveydales]

Nov 15, 2010 15:55:27 GMT -1 DalesLady said:

We have a quieter one in Joanne, but she has been a superstar! Just right for hacking safely and perfect for me although I rarely get to ride. She has done everything and is now excelling at Dressage! She has a thoughtful and quiet temperament and thinks things through before not flinging herself in to anything!

Nic found her frustrating at first but I think she really appreciates how well and calm Joanne is with everything now. Nicola did have to teach Joanne to be more confident in herself and perhaps that is all that is needed - it did take a good deal of time though, but they became a real team based on trust and I think anyone who has seen Nicola and Joanne together will agree that is what they see.

Penny, Joanne is so like Harvey in character. I do think people often mistake their thoughtful and sensitive approach to life as lazyness which it really isn't.

[Deleted]

Ok I will try to answer everone here.
Pearl has allways been a very domanant, somewhat difficult horse, when she was a baby we let her get away with thinking she was boss- big mistake!! so from the time she was a yearling to a little before she turned four she was very difficult and a bit dangerous to be around, when I used to lead her sometimes she would rear up unexpecdedly, just to be naughty We tryied lunging her-not even posible- she would stop if we whacked her, no whip was gonna make that girl move!!! This past March or so my trainer gave me some suggestions on getting her more obediant, but I don't think she knew how bad Pearly was, because she had never seen her,but amazingly such a small thing worked, it was pretty much making her move away from me, say if i took a step twards her hindquarter, she has to take a step away and so on. O you bet she didn't move away, I could poke, punch, smack or scream, she would just pin her ears back and stomp her foot. so I took a dressage whip and used the but end to jab into her( I know it sounds mean, but nothing worked), that did get a reaction, she kicked out, yah I was on a roll after that, making her move, but making sure I wouldn't get kicked. Same thing with backing up, but she would try to rear so I put her under a low apple tree in the pasture and made her back, since that session, she has never tried to do that stuff with me again, thankfully After that I could lunge her, so we started making progress.
I started ridding Pearl this past summer, just lightly on a loose rein, getting her obediant and starting to bend, walk, trot and canter, she really never gets worked for more than half an hour, even now, because we don't want to tire her out. I would never nag with her, if she didn't go when I gave her a fluff with my leg, she was going to get a good smack with the whip, it was our deal and it worked great! she would walk, trot and canter on light leg aids. Even now she was deffinetly not zippy, but she would go. She really is my mom's horse, I just started her( my mom did help with the breaking, she lunged me on Pearl when I first started ridding her, couldn't have done it without her!) When my mom started ridding her, she did not like to use the whip, so she let Pearl get a little dull, and I don't think Pearl had as much respect for her as she did me, so after a little while she started getting worse, mom started using the whip on her, and Pearl was going pretty well for several weeks, but the past couple weeks she has been getting worse, kicking out when mom will smack her and sucking back when trying to canter her, she even started bucking when mom would wack her, she is not in any pain, the saddle fits and her back is not sore, Pearl has kinda gotten some of her additude back, nothing like it used to be though. I rode her for the first time,O gosh, probable in two months, the other day, she was being soooo bad with my mom, mom could not even get her to canter, and Pearl was starting to buck higher. I put Pearl on the lunge and MADE her MOVE for me!
she didn't like that, but she went, then I got on her and made her move some more, she was really bad, but I am triumphant, she went walk, trot, canter on light leg aid WITH some contact on the bit, wich is a big thing because she always tries to suck back when we use the bit
Yes Debbie the change of seniery I think will help keep her more focused once we get her over her little naughtyness I resently made some cavalletti, so we will use those. I have done a lot of the Tellington-Jones methods, they work quite well.
O and Olivia, Pearl never reacts to much to an aid, unless it is in the form of kicking, just want to let you know though that she will never just try to kick me or my mom, she just gets mad about the whip, getting better though, Pearls been in boot camp ;D
yes to the transitions to, I allways do a lot of those will Pearly, it helps immensly
Yes, Pearl is also very good at not wasting energy, but she loves to gallop around her pasture. she is the same way out on the trail, unless another horse goes that is galloping, then she doesn't wast to get left behind
I agree it is VERY different ridding a horse like Pearl compaired to say Fannie, who is a firecracker!! I used to help my mom a little on the ground with a lunge whip, that worked well, but mom did want to get her moving without the whip
and unlike it may seem Pearl is acctually very jumpy about things, but that's getting better too.
Our trainer is comeing to the barn today, we'll see how it goes, and i will let you all know. Thanks for all the wonder full suggestions xxChloexx
PS please never mind about the spelling and grammar errers, i just jotted this diwn as quickly as possible. ;D ;D

[tomasnrichy]

Glad you are getting lots of advice , it is always good to ask ? as you get alot of Options and and good Advice on here , " Well not from me may i add "! great to have another member from over the Pond catch you later Richy ps i bet your phone Texts are not as long

[AliandDolly]

i find that dolly can be lazy to school but loves hacking, i had a lesson just getting her going and my instructor told me to get after her with my leg untill she moves on when shes going take you leg off completly if she stopps to keep going with the leg untill she gets the idea that the leg on says do something and the leg off says well done but keep going.

alixx

[Deleted]

ha ha Richie, you're right though. Meghan( my instructor) looked at Pearl on the longe, we haven't been riding her the past couple days cuz she showed some stiffness in her shoulder. We wanted Meghan to look at her to see what she thinks.we've decided to give her a couple of weeks off. Meghan thinks that some of her resistance may have been because her shoulder was bothering her,by how much she's been running out in the pasture, it couldn't have been bothering her that much though.