Lazy Horse
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ASK THE EXPERTS 29/07/10 (2)
Question:
My horse is very lazy, so a friend suggested I use a pair of spurs when I school him. But what should I use and what are your thoughts?
Answer:
There are very few truly lazy horses but many different reasons for a horse seeming to be lazy.
You have to consider if he is bored, uncomfortable, and sour with his work or has unsuitable conformation for what you are asking him to do. Are you stiff and crooked when you ride or has he some medical condition that is causing the lethargy?
I would address any possible medical problems first. It would be worth arranging a blood test to make sure that your horse does not have an undetected virus, that he is not anemic or has a high worm count. These conditions would certainly affect his energy level. While the vet is with you it would be a good idea to ask him to check his general soundness. If he is sore in his back or stiff in his joints, he may not be lame but he would be reluctant to move freely. The vet may also advise on your feeding programme to see if he is having the correct amount and type of food for his size.
If he passes the vet check then you should consider what sort of work you are doing with your horse and whether his conformation is suitable for the type of exercise you are asking of him. He may also be sour and bored if you are working him too much in the arena with not enough variation to his daily routine.
Lastly you need to look at your own riding. It is perfectly possible that you are preventing your horse from moving freely because you are sitting stiffly with a tight neck, shoulders, back, arms, hips, thighs, knees calves and toes! Even if you are stiff in any one of these it can make a difference, try just loosening your arms to start with and see what happens. You may also be sitting crooked which will pull the horse out of alignment and make movement very hard for him. If you know a good instructor, they might take a look at your riding position.
So far I haven’t mentioned spurs. I feel that spurs should be used to refine your aids to the horse and not used to force a seemingly lazy horse to move. To use them properly you need to be an experienced rider with a very still leg position. It would be much better to liven your horse up with a well timed flick with a schooling whip rather than deaden his sides with constant spur jabs.
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