Training the lazy horse to go forwards...

Does your horse ignore your legs?... do you kick and kick and the horse still won't go?
Do you have to carry a whip to get the horse to go at all?

This is a common experience, and it is a much easier problem to solve than slower the excited horse.

It is not that the horse is "lazy", the problem is that the horse has become desensitized to the "go" cue. The horse has become dull to your aid to go.

As the saying goes... "it's better lazy than crazy"..

This problem is often made worse by riders who think they have to "keep the horse going"... and they kick the horse every stride.

They eventually require bigger spurs and whips to get the horse to go at all, as the horse gets more and more desensitized to the legs and seat.

Warmbloods, quarter horses and appaloosas are more prone to this problem.

They may even put their ears back when you ask them to go.

There is an old saying: "If the ears are back the handbrake is on".

More often than not, if you get the horse going forwards in response to a light cue, and get the horse moving forwards well, the ears will come forwards.

To correct this problem, it is important that you always apply a light aid/cue when you do want the horse to go. Imagine that the horse is perfectly trained, grow tall, think about going at the pace you want and build up some energy in your body.

Then apply a light cue, grow tall and squeeze gently with both legs.
If the horse ignores this light cue, which it probably will, if it has learned to ignore your legs, then increase the pressure with your legs to a firm squeeze. Keep increasing the pressure, until the horse attempts to go forwards. You may need to tap the horse rhythmically with a whip behind your leg until the horse takes a step forward.

As soon as the horse goes forward immediately take your legs off.

The horse will probably stop again. Immediately repeat the process, use light pressure then increase the pressure until the horse goes forwards then immediately release.

If your horse understands the clicker you can also click when the horse goes forwards, then give the horse a treat.... see the clicker training section!

Eventually the horse will step forwards in response to a light pressure cue from your legs.

From there you can increase the number of strides the horse does at that pace.

Ask the horse to go with a light cue, when the horse goes take your legs off and leave the horse alone. When the horse slows down, immediately apply enough pressure to cause the horse to go, as soon as the horse goes release the pressure.

Avoid the temptation to apply the pressure before the horse stops.

We want the horse to slow down so that we can teach it that slowing down causes us to apply pressure to its side, whereas we will leave it alone when it keeps going.

Eventually the horse will keep going until you ask it to stop.

This teaches the horse to stay in "cruise control" to stay at the same pace until you ask it to change.

Good luck and happy horse training,

Georgia Bruce