Horse Training Tips: Fixing Laziness and Steering 

Good video..and good morning. Looks like he needs some time to clue in. Had one years ago that would randomly change their gate or completely stop. Rubbing the fence of a smaller round pen was another art form. He knew how to rein but would lower and turn his head inner against the direction he was going. If he didn't like the correction he would buck. Turned out to be a great horse after efforts on my part. Consistent leadership and like a child, not letting his behavior stop the task at hand. So great to see the message you will be judging..right man for the job. Take care

I have a3 year old filly and I am exhausted because of this issue . I am Older67, long story why I have her, but I want her to be a good ride so she will have a good future.

The distance isn’t an issue for someone that knows cues for lope etc. Your description was very precise and it’s obvious what’s happening. I think some folks would not be satisfied until they get an actual X-ray shot of what’s happening lol. I found this tutorial very useful. Thank you. My mare absolutely plays these games and now there’s this injury thing that’s going on so I am less likely to correct or push her. This can be a real problem for developing lazy sulky attitudes. Coming back from injury is a whole other deal.

Yay! this is the video for me and my horse. She will break gait, when I have asked for ,say a trot (she knows that she should maintain gait until i ask her to change gait. ) Naturally, she wants to carry herself on the forehand which requires less effort. Teaching the canter , she would buck to try and get me to stop asking ,and distract me (and give her a rest) These bucks were quite uncomfortable to sit , but I stayed with it and kept telling her ,no this isn't going to get you anywhere., and it 's easier just to canter. I don't ride as well as you ,but I've had 2 others like her, and I know I have to see it through . Unlike your horse , from the very first canter ,she always seems to pick up the correct lead. I'm not going to give myself credit for this🤣 Now I am riding her regularly I am seeing good improvements. Keep making these great videos. We really do appreciate the time you put into doing so!

More great information! Some of it is over my head but I run into a lot of these same tricks with the school horses I get in my lessons. They do love their little games! Will be watching more of your videos. Thanks for your time making these!

Ah gotta love the trick game lol I like to use my warm up time to see if those tricks come up. Really gets me in the mindset of whoever I am riding! I'm going to carry over what you were talking about with this ones shoulders. I need to work on this better

Hi..I've been finding your videos very helpful with a new horse I'm working with. There is just one thing that I was having trouble with in watching this video though, and that was the distance was just too far away for me too see some of the cues/nuances of how you were working with Ringo. I'm just a very "visual learner," and tend to remember whatever is being demonstrated better, when I can see how to connect what's being said with what's being shown. I really do hope you would be willing, at some point in time, to do another video on this very subject, as I'm certain I would benefit from it even more if I could see you & Ringo better. Just wanted to share that, also share my thoughts in a few last words, on how Educational/training videos (such as the many you have on this channel,) have been super helpful for me and I really appreciate the generosity from you (and of the many content creators,) in giving your time and sharing your knowledge and helping people learn new things. So much can be learned from the tips and information that are given, and it's a substantially helpful thing. It can turn a frustrating situation with a horse, into an accomplishment, that not only makes riding more enjoyable as a result, but improves the "partnership" a person has in communicating with their horse. In a way, learning from channels like this one, is like a gift, and a really nice one too. So Anyway, thanks so much~🙂👍🏞️

Thank you again 😊!

I’ve got a lazy horse. Which would be fine, he’s a trail horse and I’m a beginner rider and all i really want to do with him is mosey up and down the trail and through the fields, but the problem is, good ol Tucker is smart. And he’s 18 so he’s had plenty of time to come up with nonsense to pull. I’ve had him try to intimidate me off of him with little crow hops and bucks, refuse to listen to any of my ques. (I could be straight up kicking him In the sides as hard as I can and he just ignores it) refuse to listen when I want him to steer, try to leave the arena through the door every time we pass it, become enamored with himself in the mirror long enough that he gets us both wedged in the corner and I have to back him out of it, I’ve had him go into a slow narrow circle and refuse to leave it, protest hopping every time I tell him to, I’ve had him take off around the arena like he’s crazed (which for him is trotting, he’s a walker and he only trots when he’s trying to get out of work. I cant get anything but a smooth gait out of him under saddle when I’m intentionally trying to get him to trot) and cut off other horses and riders and generally be a nuisance. When outside I’ve had him legit pretend to spook at nothing and wheel around like he’s gonna take off back to the barn, but then it’s a nice amble back to the barn. I turn him away from it again and he does the same song and dance. He’s not actually spooking, and he’s not a spooky horse. I shoot archery off him and he doesn’t care. The only thing he’s absolutely terrified of is the work itself. The thing is, he doesn’t pull his nonsense for anyone else. I board him and he’s easy to work with for everyone, gets along well with any horse in any pasture as long as they want to be his friend. He’s easy to handle for the stable hands, and the barn owner, well, she just walks into the arena and he’s suddenly a saint. I’m the only one he doesn’t really care to listen to. Which is why I wonder, you do all this work with this horse, get him in shape, get him in the mindset that when he’s working he’s to work and stop trying to get out of it, and he’s great. What’s to stop the owner from having the same problems with him in a month? I’m curious what good it does to do all this work with the horse and not the owner. My guy is a been there done that late teenaged gelding and while the trainers at my barn could work with him, the lessons have been centered on me being the “boss” in our relationship. What benefits do you see by training the horse and not the person? Won’t he just go back to the same behavior once he’s home? Appreciate your videos! I’ve learned a ton from you!

Ours is very lazy. He will simply not go. We ask and ask and give pressure with the ankles and it takes a lot of that. We just got him in July this year. He will give a bunny when we ask him to trot. When he does buck we get right back on. He’s interesting bc we don’t use a bit. He doesn’t need it at all. He will go where we want him to go WALKING but trotting or loping he gets lazy🤪 I guess all we can do is keep trying. Would you suggest a ball spur or what? He does seem a little Leary of us still but we just keep hanging out with him. Maybe he just needs more time to get to know us. He backs away when we reach out to his neck to let him. Very Leary. He had wonderful past owners from what I saw.

Great video. Question - when he flopped out of lead and you took him in small circle on counter canter, did you ask him for the correct lead or did you wait until he took it himself? My young horse gives me trouble in picking up the right lead, and his signature move when I ask for the departure is to trot a few steps instead of loping off, and that gives him enough time to adjust his position and come out on left lead instead of right.

Are things like being more lazy or not so motivated to please people something that’s just the nature some horses are born with or can it be changed? I was offered to split lease a horse that tries to get out of haltering including that the more experienced staff say it tries to bite them and not just me with my having less experience. It’s not too cooperative when trying to put a saddle on. And they keep it usually by itself because it’s not very nice to the other horses. It becomes responsive during lunging and seems more interested in pleasing people then. I manage electrical construction and I’m always dealing with stuff so when I have time to ride I’m more about having a friendly horse that wants to work. I’m fine if it’s just him getting to know me but not so keen on a horse that I have to push against his will to ride every time.

Our Mare will just stop and not move forward with any aids. She’s a stubborn one. It’s like she gets stuck in the mud. What would you do in this case?

My 18 year old gelding, tries going backwards when he decides he does"nt want to go up the trail we ride, or really anywhere thats not the arena. This becomes a issue as he only has one eye we have almost ended up in a ditch a couple of times. so i have got off and led him a few times, which i know is"nt the right answer. Could you suggest anything else to make him go forward and not put us in harms way? Thankyou i got a lot out of this video.

My horse won't even lope. Not sure how to get him to lope. He will trot. I'm a newbie. Thanks

My young horse just flat freezes up and refuses to move.. was that way when he came home from trainer.. when pushed he then kicks up .. seems very dull to legs

That is probably what Harley is doing as she does stop all of a sudden with out asking and hard to steer at times

My horse will refuse to go forward regardless of leg or seat aides. In a round pen she has tried to rub me into the fence. She also refuses to lunge to the right. When I go to pick out her feet l, she will shift her weight to that foot and refuse to pick it up. She has been quite a pill to handle.

Hi Tim, i have a horse that trots fast when i first start the jog. And has more whoa than go. So i give him a little nudge with spurs to keep him going. Im still in process of teaching collection. Do you recommend anything else i can do. I thought of that video where you circle near fence then stop and turn go other way. I might try that coz his he heavy in front.

I have an incredibly lazy 16 year old fox trotter gelding. He can not hold any gait except a walk without constant kicking and voice cues. He constantly cuts corners and leaves the rail if I am not literally holding his head to the rail, I can not loosen my reins or give him his head as he will go to the gate or center. He is way lazier than any horse I have ever seen. I would not be able to copy your doing, as he will not hold a trot/gait or lope for more than 10 seconds. Compared to my horse this horse in this video is forward. When I do get him to hold a lope or gait I have to spur him every single step or he will slow down to a walk. He has gotten a bit better and has been able to lope for about a minute straight. But I still have to kick and click at him every step he takes. Whips don’t work, you can beat him and he will just stare at you and behave the same way. We have gotten him vet checked completely 3 times and he is perfectly healthy. He is gaited so I don’t know if that makes a difference.

Are you periodically hitting with the spurs when he doesn’t do what you ask?

How can I set up to send a horse to u? Bought a guy that’s supposed to be a roping horse (I don’t rope) but wanting to get him a little more fine tuned.

I wish you would ride one that truly is balking... I have a child spoiled horse very gentle very well destinatized to kicking.. and to spanking will not move. When you get on her she will work off the second you pickup the rein to do anything she stops. And will not move.. if you bump her to trot she stops.. you can get off and lunge and she does amazing.. trotts lopes walks turns back both ways.. step on and you get zero. Nothing she can flex to her tail very softly but feet don't move... you can't kick her hind feet over or pull her head to make front feet move.. all of which she will willingly do from the ground.. she don't buck kick or rear she just grows roots.

This man is to big for the horse...poor animal