Re-training a horse who is dead to the leg

[ukica]

I have recently been given another horse to ride.  She is very lazy and unresponsive to the leg.

 I have asked owners to get her bloods done as she is so lethargic and she is fed well.  Also she has had a back check and teeth done and seems fine.

I have thought of cutting sessions shorter, giving more rests with shorter work periods (and rewards for good responses) and also using transitions, say from halt to trot, walk and halt to canter and that does seem to get her more responsive and you dont need to use your leg at every stride 

She has been ridden and jumped into the ground in the past and has recently started refusing at shows.  She is 16.

They want me to train her harder and force her on and on and on(using whip and spur if necessary)....but i want shorter, more productive sessions with many breaks and i personally would want a complete break from jumping for at least a month.  Also they ride 6 days a week always the same stuff, and i have suggested riding out on the terrain.

Does anyone have any other ideas? 

thanks

[Bradders]

I will be very interested in the responses in this thread as there is a mare on our yard that fits you description in just about every way.

She is such a sweet temptered girl, and it really gets to me when I see her owner bouncing about on her like a Thelwell, flapping her stick, and generally gettign herself in a bit of a state. Normally for bloomin ages, in the school - although to be fair she does hack her out a fair bit too.

[Magsndan]

I think if she was mine and assuming she is sound and healthy id probabley want to get her out of the school full stop atm and get her having some fun hacking, pleasure rides, beach rides anything other had schooling. She sounds sour and proabley jared up if she's been doing all that jumping

[ukica]

Yes, my thoughts exactly Magsdan.

@ Bradders:  Yes, generally the horse should be working harder than the rider!  I was exhausted after 2 circuits of the school.

I wanted to stop and just do a few transitions on the circle and she was getting better.  I do not want to be using the leg at every stride  

[cirocco]

This sounds much the same sort of thing as is found with some long term riding school ponies. They just give up and have no interest in life.

They need a different life. Time off first, then something different 'anything', thats not schooling. They need to be taken away from their old life.

Sadly, the owners dont seem to have the ability to listen.

Good luck.

[ukica]

I need it!  just been informed they jumped her even higher tonight!  

[Claire]

agree with the others.  the mare is telling her owners, no more, and they are not listening.  i think i wouldn't want to be involved, in the circs....

[ros]

Are these the same idiots that wanted to lunge the 8-month old foal, by any chance?

I think I'd be out of there by now 

[ukica]

No...they are a different bunch of idiots...............i am out of there anyway!  But i am still interested in exercises for tuning the horse more into the aids.

[ros]

Well, if you're talking about a horse whose owner(s) don't abuse it  I reckon the most important thing is for the horse to have an incentive to please you. Whether it's simply praise, or food, or whatever, is down to what motivates the individual horse. I can't for the life of me understand these people who think animals should do what we ask them to just because we ask them to 

[issywizz]

Ukica,
I think you are already on the right tracks with the blood tests, ulcers is another possible physical cause and also a chiro /physio visit would be a good option if you have them out there.

Also agree with your thoughts on varying the work and asking for less, introducing lots of praise and reward would be good too but not sure if it would be fair if they arent going to continue it 
Transitions would be good too especially if you could use some +R with those.
It may be the case though that the horse is blocked from being pushed too much.

[ukica]

Yes, she was like riding an empty shell, like she has nothing more to give.

The worse thing is that you cant tell the owners anything, they know best  and aparently i read way too much and should work the horse more and stop being lazy! (i told them thanks but i am not interested in the ride).  The last time i was told not to save on the spurs 

In the meantime, i dont have that problem with any of the other horses i ride, including my own who responds to pretyy much just a difference in energy so 

It was great though to get some feed back on here, and see that other people were agreeing with me.  I hate the mentality of some of these people is so frustrating     

(have also been criticised because aparently my 4 year old should already be jumping 110 at comps!!!  )

[issywizz]

  I wish some people would just get a motorbike or something 

[jenb]

Well, my 7yo is only jumping 2' in training and I don't plan on competing him over fences much, if at all.  He is sound, happy and enjoys his work.  Tell them to stick that in their pipe and smoke it...     Oh, and he responds well to a change in energy levels too under saddle, and I'd bet your critical people wouldn't be able to ride one side of him.  It's sad for their horses, but stick to what you are doing.   

[Magsndan]

Code:

I wish some people would just get a motorbike or something 

Thats what I always say, if its just a machine to you get a bike