In this video Joseph talks about some ideas to improve the feeling on lazy horses. Working to improve responses to the leg and improve the connection are important. Info on the sales horses at www.exclusivedressageimports.com
My experience: 1. If you ride mostly indor- go outdoor 2. If you ride on the arena- go out (fields, meadows, forest- open space). Horses need space. Most lazy horses are simply bored with everyday 20x60 routine. 3. Start with walk and quite soon let them canter. Two point seat and let them canter almost without contact/connection - wake them up. 4. Shorten your sessions - not to bore them 5. Do series of transitions and give the rain, count to 30, again, and again- short, short sessions of concentration and short sessions of relaxations. 6. Don't be afright to use the whip but if the horse responses to much (e.g. you asked for trot but it spooked into canter)- let tem canter- meaning don't punish them with holding for they response. Resposne was good (forward) just communiaction not accurate. *if you need a lot of traver, renver, shoulder in for a "lazy horse" it means it is not lazy but lacking strenght of what you're asking.
I learnt from someone that you MUST open your chest and relax your legs, but FIRST get them forward, then leave them alone. Once they're forward, relax everything and praise with your voice. But also, only ask for forward in little bits, as horses don't always have the fitness and muscles to keep 'pounding' forward. It takes practice.
I think instead of being labeled a “lazy” horse they are better described as a “low energy” horse. I’m not lazy but Im definitely low energy and I can sympathize with them. Lol!
There are severely lazy, stubborn, and smart horses. This is not a bad thing if handled correctly. Thank you for using clear terms that are based in reality.
This was super helpful and a great thought starter. My horse has the opposite issue (rushes in trot/canter), but this make me stop and think through the flip side of how I need to convince him harder work is in front, easier work is behind. Would LOVE to see a version of this exact video, but for how to ride a rushy horse. Very useful!
Totally agree with what you're saying. In my experience in training horses and teaching riders I see that if you have a strong core as a rider and ride with a certain tension in your body (not your hands) horses react well to it and suddenly move forward from their hindquarters forward. This way my riding students and I are able to ride even the laziest horses nicely forward.
Wow! That is exactly what I did today with my horse, as he is not really lazy, but today he was, and I rode him more on the hindlegs and then he got really forward as I asked, as a sort of relief..."better go forward than work on the hindleg". 👍
There is a paradox here Joseph. You say "with these horses you try to progressively get more with less". Yes, what about you use your aids less to do just that and your trot collapses. What then? The solution you (and many others) provide is just a statement of the solved problem: "try to make them really go with very little aids". Well sure. You just stated the end result. Now the part of the connection and putting him on the hind leg, that is more concrete. I will try that. Don't get me wrong, I admire your work, this is just a sometimes frustrated student speaking here.
I struggle with all aspects of this. Coupled with a lack of flexibility. Challenging in leg yields at first level, where we just stall out. Alternately, when rushed he loses balance and engagement. I'm exhausted after riding these days.
Feel just like you my young horse has always stalled and sucked back the more leg I added. He is getting better as he gets stronger and more balanced. Time time time…
I really don't believe there are LAZY horses. They try their hearts out! And when ambitious riders don't communicate with their horse effectively and push beyond the the horses ability to understand what the rider wants, they shutdown. Then the poor horse is labeled LAZY. And the rider gets more forceful (whip, spur, bit) all leading to more un-harmony. We humans are supposedly superior... Not in that case...
I knew a very good looking and able horse who was so lazy that, even when he ran away from you when you tried to catch him from the paddock, he never moved faster than the slowest walk that would keep him out of reach. Moved beautifully when he did go.
I believe you are wrong. I've only trained like 70 horses so I don't have the experience of decades of upper levels of dressage, but in this brief experience I disagree with your POV.
