Franklin Levinson's
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Big, Slow-Motion Horse
I have a problem with my 9 years old horse. He is too big and too heavy for me. I struggle to put him forward and I face difficulties when it comes to jumping because he looses his impulsion very easily. He has a big movement so you think you are running while you are not doing anything.
Hello there,
You can get your horse to respond with more energy and be a lighter mover by doing a lot of ground exercises (and I do mean a lot of lunging or exercises in a round pen). He is habituated to moving a certain way now. It will take some time for him to pick up his energy and respond lightly and energetically. He will show resistance to changing an old habit. However, it can be done with a lot of dedication, patience and persistence on your part. Your ground skills need to be pretty good. Not expert by any means. But you’ll need to be able to be very assertive and precise in your requests (cues). You’ll need to be able to handle his resistance which may look like him kicking out, bucking (without you on him I hope), cutting the circle short, a lot of ‘blowing’ and the like.
Horses should not be faulted for their natural laziness. It is part of their survival mechanism. However, this is habitual laziness and somewhat different. As he is big, it does require a certain physical prowess. However, that can be compensated for by doing a lot of ground play to get him to wake up and get his resistance out, without you on his back. If you take a crop to him to get him to move before you do the ground work, he may start to buck or run off with you. Doing this on the ground first will help keep you safe, give you training practice which will be invaluable and, at least, get your horse moving more than he is now. There is something to being physically matched to a horse. Perhaps this guy will always be a bit big for you. His impulsion comes significantly from your abilities as a rider. If you are petite and riding a very big horse who is a bit lumbering anyway, this will naturally work against you. I would try a lot of ground work first to see if you can get his fire going. But be careful, fire is hot€…..
Good Luck and Happy New Year!
Sincerely, Franklin