How can i hype up spirit?!

[julie]

Quiet work is several days gentle hacking mainly walk with some trot and canters probably lots of chatting too!

Medium work is several days hacking with hill work and trotting mainly with some canters and interval training, up to two hours a time. Schooling for up to hour with plenty of trot and maybe a comp at weekends.

Hard is coming up to 40mile endurance level or 3 day event where you can canter longer distances and trot for 20 mins plis a time without puffing you or horse.

Most of us do light work. I did medium when fittening which was 7 miles per day within 1 hour which was mainly trot work on hills, with one fourteen mile ride a week then one endurance ride a month.

Nic - go for hac. Walk for first and last ten minutes and try to trot and canter for 40 mins. That would be getting towards medium work. When you reach this level without sweating and your horse has no energy still then feed!

[nic]

I didnt realise you'd all posted so much more info, thanks!
Well I ride him for at least an hr about 4 to 5 times a week, and yes sometimes its chatty hacks - with lou oops lol. but when alone i do mainly trot and canter, but what has suprised me is how much you all say you should do trot and canter. I WANT to trot and canter the whole time but think that you should give them little walks in between to give them a rest, this is obv where I am going wrong, from now on, as he is def fit enough, he will be walkin for the first and last 10 mins and trotting/cantering everywhere else! Thank you so much all of you! and I will try the blood stuff if this still doesnt do the trick!

[harleydales]

A lot of native ponies aren't 'natural' canterers - Harley is much more balanced and light in trot than canter. Cantering also whacks up the heart rate.

He's now 30 mile fit on that regime, completed his last ride fast, in great style with a low heart rate. We're doing an endurance competition once a fortnight. And he's still only on Leisure mix!

[greydales]

I also have a similar thing with Saturn, who I have to work very hard at to keep going. However he is only 4 and I think a lot of his lack of forwardness is due to lack of confidence, but in general Dales are cold blooded and aren't going to be comparable to say, an Arab (although I have met more than a few who do a good impression lol!). My older Dales Dan is generally lazy but he will go off the leg if asked properly.

However I am also used to riding very sharp and sensitive horses like Morgans who need no encouraging to move, and it is a huge difference riding a laid back Dales! You may have to accept that he will never be quite as energetic as you'd like, I used to ride Dan 6 days a week for hours at a time, a lot of it cantering and galloping - but he still never acquired the fitness of my Morgan Pip who I could leave for weeks, and he would be as fit after lack of work as he was with it!

Edited to add I tried giving Dan oats, and all that succeeded in doing was to make him more grumpy

[nic]

Greydales - thats it exactly, Spirit can prob be worked up eventually, but he'll never be as quick off the leg or as forward as the arab i ride!
im just going to see how it goes, but I will def try the more trotting thing, happily, cos like is aid i rest him every now and then thinkin its not good 2 keep trotting everywhere lol, so im pleased to learn this 2day! Unfortunatly I do not have the time 2 do THAT long rides, as I work full time, have another horse, a dog an a bf so lol, i will have to stick to my hr or so hacks but with more trot!
Thank u everyone so much!

[suew]

Some horses are just impossible to hype up.

We have been trying for ages to put some umph into Tilly, wouldn't even care if it caused fizz. Nothing works, better fitness, racehorse mix, blood liquid, glucose, oats, we've tried it all.

Tilly is not having it, she will put in just so much effort and thats all. The only time we see any sign that she could be different is playing in the field with her new friend Kayla, she has to really move to keep up with her.

I'm afraid when the saddle and bridle come out she switches off, perhaps its her riding school past.

[julie]

Another wayt o school, rebalance and get fitter is to do carl hesters 100 transitions whilst hacking! You just aim to do 100 transitions whilst doing your hack - try it!

[emmaloo]

Lol, i gave my old horse competition mix for a dressage comp. she was hyper for the next 3 weeks! =]

[kwilson]

I have had good results with Propell Plus by Equine America

[dalesponyrider]

How is it going Nic?