Thinking Forward

To get the best out of your Equine Friend when riding him, you need to him to ‘think forward’ and get him moving positively off your leg.  A lazy and sluggish horse is not fun to ride and will only make your horse resent his work which is not ideal for either of you.

Animal Friends Equine Insurance is here to help you with some tips to get your horse thinking more forward which will make you enjoy riding and give your equine friend a bit more zest for life.

First things first

Your horse may be sluggish and lazy due to a health problem. It is ideal to rule this out first, so ask your vet to give him a once over; making sure he has no problems in general such as his teeth or back. If your horse is not going forward recently, he may have some form of virus, so a vet check will be able to rule this out if necessary.

A frequent problem in reluctant horses is ill-fitting tack. A saddle that has pressure points will be very uncomfortable for your horse, which will make him very reluctant to move forward. It can also hinder their movement, a horse will not be able to extent his front leg if the saddle is preventing him from doing so.

Feed can be a problem, so a special equine nutritionist will be able to advise you on a correct diet for your horse.

Mix it up

Once your horse has had the all clear from your vet, think about how you work him. Are you always riding him in the school? Going on the same route out hacking?

Instead of schooling every day, allow your horse to unwind on a long hack which will involve a good canter along a field. This will get him moving forward and will also ‘spark’ him up as horses generally love a good canter through the fields!

Why not try schooling out hacking? Ask him to come round and work on the bit from time to time, and then ask a bit of leg yield or shoulder in. Your horse will most likely be more willing to work out of the school where he doesn’t feel so enclosed.

When you decide to school, transitions are ideal for the sluggish horse. They are invaluable for getting your horse on his hind legs, which will give him impulsion therefore sending him forward. Start with walk to trot transitions to get him listening to you. 

Change the rein plenty of times and add lots of school movements; circles, shallow loops and serpentines are all very handy for both you and your horse.

Jumping can be fresh and enjoyable; grid work is a great way of allowing your horse to flow through jumps, which will give him confidence and plenty of fun. This is an ideal opportunity for you as a rider to perfect your position too.

Don’t always blame your Equine Friend

Riding technique can be a responsible for you horse not moving forward. Go back to basics, rather than constantly nagging him; give him a squeeze, followed by a nudge. If there is not an instant response, give him a tap with your whip. As a rider, you should give your aids with the intention getting a result, so be direct with what you are asking. If you want him to move forward; make it clear to your horse and he will grasp what you are wanting from him. As soon as your horse moves off the aid, then reward him with your voice.

Horses are generally forward thinking animals, having been bred to run with their “flight” character, so having a sluggish horse may indicate a problem. Once you have addressed this, then you should focus on filling his environment and ridden work with variety as this will prevent him from being bored or fed up.
Remember: We love a bit of variety in our life, and so do our Equine Friends!