Motivating the Lazy Horse

A challenge people frequently come across is the lazy horse: the horse that you have to constantly remind to stay forward, the horse that makes your legs feel like they’re about to fall off from exertion. These horses, while easy to appreciate for a quiet trail ride, can be frustrating when you want to do something a little more.

It’s important to realize: there is no such thing as a truly lazy horse. It is not natural to the horse, and it is not beneficial either for them to be so lazy that they barely can go above a walk without major effort. Occasionally, I come across someone who says “I really don’t mind them being lazy,” but usually this is accompanied by dysfunction, and a freely moving horse is not as uncomfortable or uncontrollable as it sounds. They often are easier to ride and control and happier in the long run. Horses become lazy through different circumstances that make it less efficient for them to move more forward, and this is why fixing “laziness” is so difficult.

There are several causes to laziness in the horse, and it is important to evaluate them in steps to be able to help your horse out the most.

Most frequent cause: Learned Laziness

Horses can sometimes learn to be lazy in different ways. A very common way that a horse learns to be lazy is from the rider. When a rider has a leg that does not have a still baseline, the horse learns to ignore the rider’s leg until the rider kicks or uses the whip to get them to go forward, and it becomes a vicious cycle. In other cases, the rider’s pelvis is creating a physical block by being tipped too far forward or being “stuck” in the hips and lower back. Fortunately, this is easy to correct! Once the rider learns to have a quiet leg, they can re-sensitize their horse to their aids. The rider can also learn how to mobilize their pelvis, which helps to give room for the horse to move through the pelvis.

The other case of learned laziness comes from compensation patterns. If their back is locked and disconnected from the hind leg (ie, the lumbosacral joint isn’t functioning the way it should), it is physically impossible for the horse to be free-moving. This learned source of laziness is a little trickier to unlock, but certainly not impossible. It takes unlocking the stuck joints with exercises that help the horse find a more efficient way of going, and then they’ll be much easier to move off the aids. Conformation can play a role, but often this can be overcome.

Another frequent cause: a physical blockage

This is another extremely common cause I find. When the saddle doesn’t quite fit right, it can physically restrict the muscles in the back, and then it is hard for the horse to move through this. See, there is a theory that horse movement is initiated in the back, not in the limbs themselves, and when the saddle is not allowing free movement, it is that much harder for the horse to move. Actual muscle and fascial damage can occur with this, as can damage to the scapulas themselves.

Therefore, it is vital to improve this for preventing damage and ensuring horse comfort and soundness for a long time to come. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to find a good saddle fitter, as training is not standardized, but a good rule of thumb is that you should be able to run your hand under the saddle without it hitting a blockage, both with the horse at rest and while asking them to lift their sternum. If there’s a hard spot or even a total gap, something is amiss.

Girths can also have a significant impact, and it is important to choose a girth that fits your horse’s barrel. This may be a curved girth for horses with forward girth grooves, or it may be a straight girth for others. Mohair is excellent for sensitive skin that rolls, while other materials better suit other skin types.

Less Frequent but Important Causes: Medical Issues

Sometimes, you can make sure you go through everything else, and your horse is still very lazy. This is when we need to dig deeper into medical issues. These can include lameness (such as osteoarthritis or soft tissue injury) or even internal organ issues. This will require veterinary involvement, but common causes of lazy horses include foot problems, stomach ulcers, neurological disorders (such as Lyme or EPM), or even organ damage. Most of these are treatable, but they may require life-long support. As horses age, they may simply not have the energy to be forward due to hormonal or chemical changes, and these may also require support. Any of these will require veterinary support to make sure appropriate care is provided, and a vet will be more equipped to investigate these different issues.

Conclusion

A horse is never truly lazy by nature and by choice; they are only lazy by either improper learning, physical limitations, or even medical issues. With appropriate care, most lazy horses can be supported to become more forward-thinking, making for an easier ride with a happier, healthier riding partner. It takes investigation and honest reviews of what is happening, first ruling out the most common causes and then working down to the less common to give your horse the best quality of ridden life. Are you ready to take those first steps?

-Emily Wright

Ready to conquer your lazy horse’s challenges and get some guidance? Contact us about lessons! Lessons offered onsite, offsite (within reasonable driving distance), and virtually. Longe lessons are available to riders seeking to improve their seat. Also check out our biomechanics events as they come!