How to ride a LAZY horse

[@joannathediana]

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.

[@loredelore7286]

Exactly, you wrote down exactly what I was thinking.

[@alinebrandau3982]

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.

[@charmainemckinney4064]

🇿🇦 thanks Joseph always nice to see new videos from you. I ride a Friesian so know all about lazy horses, but we keep trying.

[@phoenixx6380]

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.

[@barbaraleighroberts5561]

🇬🇧. Oh so missed you all. Love you're tutorials.

[@JavierBonillaC]

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.

[@nicoleross4160]

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!

[@Sarahthedexter]

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.

[@hillarywise3372]

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!

[@mette1976]

Thank you very much need this😎

[@lonia.5283]

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". 👍

[@terriwallace5188]

Hi Joseph, Love your new grey horse Frey. Looks like you're all doing well.

[@andreaburke6009]

So well said👍

[@macbridepsych]

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.

[@neeleywilson403]

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…

[@betsysmall3576]

Thanks!

[@traceymiller2038]

Thank you I do not fully understand the idea do not chase but yes get on the hindquarters but that goes for all I will have to try understand this better Would love more on the lazy horse or how about dull horse... my horse is not super sensitive to aids even the spurs or whip in hand or ridden he is a bit strange as can be spooky but mostly just takes things in his stride and a touch with the whip means nothing from the day I got him he just does not respond unless I use it slightly sharply ... please I assure not harshly... but he he does not feel it he just does not respond ... I find kinda quick sharp once is good.... thus I say he's kinda dull to the aids and I feel it's laziness .... he just needs to be fitter and sharper without me chasing him.... mmmm ?..... sorry thinking out loud .... I need to better grasp this.... please address this more Thank you

[@frangipaniinteriors8894]

Joseph where do you recommend starting with a horse that has dulled to both the bit and the leg aids (my new horse I’m getting next week!)

[@falizianme5846]

Great video and love the new intro! ❤️

[@blaiseducdaumont1280]

How do you know if a horse is lazy or just not feeling well?

[@CS-bi3hh]

And don’t forget to feed it in the right way.

[@murrimbastables]

I like this...good food F o r thought...im going think about all this....t h ankyou

[@franmechura2773]

THIS!!!!!

[@leealexander3507]

I simply don't buy or ride lazy horses.

[@terridavis3430]

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...

[@janmeyer3129]

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.

[@JavierBonillaC]

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.