She Just Won't Go!

[foreverequus]

I ride a young just turned three year old filly that will not move very forward on the longe. She won't even move around in the roundpen. She has no interest in moving out onto the rail of the roundpen despite her small understanding of moving away from pressure. I attempted a technique of 'tapping the shoulder' until she moved out and she actually started to drift off to sleep. The annoying poking didn't bother her one bit. You can crack the whip all day long and she won't do much. Sometimes she'll get going, throw a buck or canter a little, but after this she won't go faster than a walk. The whip doesn't faze her AT ALL. What can I use or do to get her to move out and start working better on the longe and in the roundpen?!? She's such a fast horse, and since she won't get some of her energy out in the roundpen, riding her can be difficult. No, I'm NOT saying I want scare her, I just need to be able to establish some stability and ground to get her to understand what I want her to do. What do you guys recommend? This is one of her main issues, other than this she's really been making lovely progress for being such a young horse. I just don't understand why she hasn't been grasping onto this, iIt's been a few weeks and she hasn't really been improving.

[walkinthewalk]

If that were my filly and she really is behaving in the lethargic (not lazy, but lethargic) way you explain, I would be calling the vet to get her a thorough exam and get some blood drawn.

I would also be getting hold of my equine chiropractor/DVM and have her work on the filly to be sure there are no skeletal/musculo issues.

You didn't say how your filly is when she is at liberty in the pasture.

If she demonstrates anywhere close to the behaviour you describe while she is outside? It would be vet time for sure.

It is entirely possible she has an ulcer. Serious breeders will tell you that it's entirely possible for a foal to develop an ulcer from the stress of birth.

If your filly is an older three, she should be finishing up losing her caps. It is possible her caps aren't coming off like they should, perhaps she has a bit of infection in her lymph nodes from them and she doesn't feel good or perhaps all of this has lead to an ulcer that would make her not feel good.

Or maybe none of the above is true and you just happen to have a very lazy horse that doesn't want to work, but were she mine, I'd be getting the vet to tell me that.

Hope this helps:)

[WildSpirit]

I agree, how does she act out of the pen? Is she acting up when ridden too? It might be something worth just having the vet check over- its a funny stage to be at (late threes) and they get all sorts of funny bits and bobs. Let us knwo how you get on. Hoping it works out okay for you :)

[alishaw84]

I sort-of disagree with you guys above me. I own a 4 year old paint stud horse who has never been scared of a whip and we've never gotten him faster than a trott (whom i might add is the grandson of several race horses) he is so lazy that it takes him almost 45 minutes to eat his grain. He falls asleep most of the time while he is eating. We 1st thought something was wrong and had every kind of test you can think of everything came back good. Your horse could simply be just like ours and is lazy our vet said if we wanted him to be up beat try a steriod, but I couldn't ever do that to him at all.


Not to mention you said she's very young so she just might not understand what you are trying to tell her to do. Such thing called "green broke".


Anyways hope all goes well.

[Saddle Bag]

Try focusing on her hip and jiggle your whip toward her rump. If she won't pick up a little speed, try a light tap on the top of her rump. Gradually increase the strength of the tap until she responds. Always give her 4 or 5 seconds between taps to respond. If you ask for a trot, say it briskly and keep reinforcing it. As soon as she moves don't tap but have the whip follow her about mid height. If she tries to walk, first ask Trot, then jiggle the whip. The tap is last. She needs to figure this out so patience is important. Altho you are focusing on her hip, you can still see what the other end is doing. Place your leading hand a little to the side of your body as tho pointing the direction of travel.