Franklin Levinson's
Horse Help Center
Professional support for you and your horse!
Forward motion
Hello, I have a new horse, 11 yr.old gelding Oldenburg, very big frame guy, I have had a full vet check with xrays and back, legs, hocks, clean xrays. The problem is he is lazy. He puts his ear back and does not always want to move forward. I do wear light spurs and dressage whip, I am careful to not over use my aids. When I take him out in the field, he moves along much better. Should I lounge him first? How do I work through this? He is a very wonderful horse besides this issue. Thanks
HI,
You only mention riding your horse and do not mention anything
else. Horses are naturally lazy and this is prt of their survival mechanism. If they
go too fast they die from a preditator attack because they run themselves out of
energy. It is easy to begin to motivate a horse to move forward. Do not judge your
horse as anything bad, as it is not and is not doing anything to you personally. It
is not stubborn, willful or any such negative human trait. It is merely fending for
itself in the absence of anyone near it who understands and knows how to lead the
dance of movement and relationship.
The more ground playing the better. Focus somewhat on asking
the horse to move forward either in the lunge or straight. Ground driving would be a
wonderful thing to do as well to get your horse focused on moving forward. A great
relationship based on trust with a horse is first and foremost formed on the ground.
Your horse will respond better, have a better attitude and you will not be so
'separate' from your horse. Join in a partnership with him and really esperience the
joy, loyalty, compliance and responses of a horse who trusts you. This is beyond
riding if you are open to really having the best partnership you can have. It is also
tied in to your abilities as the good leader for your horse. It is all supposed to be
a dance, with you as the good leader always. Appropriate, effective communication is
the key. Along with consistant reward (removal of all pressure and a short break) for
all attempts at compliance. Horses learn best one-step-at-a-time. Reward each and
every forward step for a while. This will keep the horse trying to comply. Be patient
and don't ask for too much too quickly. Have the horse's trust as your big agenda and
not how he goes under saddle. He does not trust you and this is partially why he is
not willing to move forward. He is not your slave nor servant. He is your dance
partner looking for your leadership in the dance of movement. Move back to more of
the basics of good training and see the good results. Once he begins to move forward
freely with you on the ground, it will begin to happen under saddle. How you use your
body and communicate on the ground is essential. If you need some vids, get them and
learn. I also offer telephone coaching in horsemanship and it is very effective.
Please consider.....
Sincerest regards, Franklin