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Clare
02 Mar 2009 11:40
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I have a 5 year old 3/4 ID x TB mare who looks a million dollars but has no gusto. I am struggling to get her forwards. She does respond to my leg aids but just can't seem to be arsed to pick herself up and show any enthusiasm! I have tried all kinds of feeds including event mixes and oats and she could still be hacked down the M62 with your granny on board! I thought she may not thrive off cereal/starch so I am trying to cut those out of her feed and give her a fibre/oil based diet now to see if that works along with trying to get her as fit as a butcher's dog! Any help would be fantastic!
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Horse Hero Guru
02 Mar 2009 15:43
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Hi Clare
You cannot use feeding as a way of changing a horse’s personality. Yes, you can make a horse hyperactive (just like a child fed fizzy drinks and rubbish), but this isn’t wise in either case. Good feeding is providing a diet that provides sufficient fuel for the work she is doing – no more and no less. Fortunately horses don’t get bored with the same food, so it doesn’t need to be varied, just properly balanced containing all she needs.
Overfeeding is far too easy to do – very few horses do more than light work. Hard work is 8 hours a day pulling a wagon or working at full exertion, not an hour trotting around on a good surface.
However, looking at your horse. First question – is this lethargy new or is it how she has always been? If she has always been like it you will have to accept that this is her ‘personality’ and live with it! If it is new then like most problems, approach this one as if it was your own health you were dealing with. If you started to feel tired and lethargic you would go to the doctor, so get her checked out, with blood tests.
The next question is what is she doing? If she is continually being schooled or hacked in the same places with the same (or no companions) she is probably bored mindless. Vary her routine with different speeds, different places and different activities. Turn her out as much as possible with energetic companions. Best of all, consider taking her hunting – wakens up most horses!
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Clare
02 Mar 2009 19:58
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Thanks for that! We have had her since she was 6 months old, we had to push her off the lorry to get her out! I competed her in hand as a yearling and she has won a lot including the Great Yorkshire, but even then she seemed so laid back. We backed her at home ourselves and she was a perfect girl, no problem at all.
She has been out nearly every day through winter with my 2 year old warmblood who is a bit crackers so she does have fun. We competed her 5 times in 4 year old hunter classes last year then turned her away in July. I brought her back into work in December and she seemed better, I thought we had turned a corner but she is back to the same. I am hacking her out in an attempt to get her as fit as I can and am keeping her off the school for now to stop her getting bored. She just seems to switch off. I did think about hunting but I need her fitter and the season is nearly over. I have changed her diet to high fibre with extra vitamins/minerals with no cereal/starch as I have read that this can have an adverse effect on Irish Draughts. I am especially worried because as an amateur, I only have her to compete. I just need her to go forwards!
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Horse Hero Guru
02 Mar 2009 21:43
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OK, so you have a horse with a lovely calm temperament who is not phased by anything. She looks wonderful and is healthy, but she is lazy and not giving you the ride she should. She lacks impulsion and is happy to laze around when you are riding which makes riding hard work, as you always have to push her forwards.
You say she improved after her break, which probably implies that there is an element of boredom. She has done a lot of exciting things in her young life – the buzz of major shows such as Great Yorkshire means that being at home is just boring – think teenager sitting at home watching television rather than going out partying! Try and involve some fun activities in her work – a bit of jumping, grid work, galloping, racing against other horses.
The other thing is to get her more responsive to your legs, which sounds as though it is your key problem and what you really want to sort out. Ideally your horse should continue at the same pace until you ask it to change at which point the response should be immediate. A horse can feel a fly crawling on its skin, so there is no reason why it should not react to very mild leg aids. There are many riders who ride along continually squeezing or nudging their horse with their heels and getting no response because the horse has learnt to ignore the leg.
I am not saying that you do this but the solution is the same. The solution I am offering is not classical riding but it is effective. You must try to ride with little or no lower leg contact except when giving a command and maintain a steady but light rein contact. When you give a leg aid it should be a request - clear and light. If there is no response, within a couple of seconds repeat the aid more strongly – you are giving her the benefit of the doubt and asking more clearly. If that fails to get a response repeat the aid and back it up with your stick and voice – demand a response. The aim is to make her jump forward. Make sure that you do not catch her in the mouth as she goes and let her keep going for at least 20 metres before praising her and slowing her down. You will find that she will rapidly learn to respond on the first request and, after a week or so you can return to more normal leg contact – although with horses that are laid back it is wise to make sure that your leg contact is always very light. The general idea is with everything, you always ask nicely first (the whisper). You then ask more loudly (you speak) and if that doesn’t respond you demand (the shout).
Try this – I am sure it will be more effective than trying to provide her with food as an artificial stimulant.
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Clare
03 Mar 2009 11:27
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Hi!
I have and continue to ride with the legs away method of asking and backing up with the stick but to no avail, I will try the galloping with others, that's the only thing I have not tried. That's why my thoughts turned to her feed as I have tried everything else! I really am at a loss with her, she's a bag!
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Horse Hero Guru
03 Mar 2009 21:40
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I am somewhat concerned that you are not getting a response to a schooling programme to train response to leg aids enforced with a stick.
First you need to consider whether this lack of response is in all aspects of her life. Is she is unresponsive when she is not being ridden? How is she when she is lunged or loose schooled – does she respond to your voice aids? How does she respond to your two year old? If the problem is just when she is being ridden get her saddle and back checked – it could be a problem with these. If it is only when she has a bridle on it might be a bitting or tooth problem. If she is equally unresponsive in all situations then I would have blood tests done to ensure that she does not have an underlying problem.
If you are going to look for dietary ways of producing high levels of instant energy then you are going to be considering those feeds that most people try to avoid. The best diet to provide instant energy is cereal based – think oats and possibly beans – the phrase ‘full of beans’ is from the behaviour of hoses fed on them! The oil-based diet you are considering is usually considered to provide slow release energy ie calories without excitable behaviour. I would suggest that you should contact one of the major feed merchants, all of whom have equine nutritionists who would be happy to provide advice on a suitable feed regime for your horse ensuring that it is well balanced.
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Fiona Price
04 Mar 2009 07:39
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I think it would also be worth having a blood test incase there is something else going on, such as a thyroid problem or a deficiency of some sort!
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Clare
04 Mar 2009 13:19
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Thank you all for your continued effort here! Blood tests were my next port of call. I really have tried everything you are suggesting and on the lunge she is fine. We had her back and saddle checked and altered before and since she was broken, and she has a regular dental check, I even had her wolf teeth out as a 2 year old to prevent any problems. I have spoken to feed companies but they only plug their own feed. I have had her on performance concentrate and oats, she did have a burst of energy (only one) at White Rose County Show as a 4 yr old when she threw me outside the ring then procedded to be as dead as a door nail in the ring! I believe there can be a problem with draught horses fed on cereal and starch which effects their muscle and has an adverse effect to that which is intended. This is why I decided to cut out cereal and starch. I think a call to the vet is the next step!
Regards
Clare
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Horse Hero Guru
04 Mar 2009 18:51
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I always enjoy a puzzle!
I think that the fact your horse is fine on the lunge means that you should try a couple of other things. Can you lunge her in her saddle and, preferably with a rider on. Her reaction and attitude may tell you if it is a saddle or back problem. I know that you have had these checked but all horses change shape from season to season. The fact that she is ¾ ID will mean she matures quite slowly and is probably still developing and definitely getting broader. If she is generally placid then her reaction to pain of a too tight saddle may well be a lack of willingness to go forward. How are you at walking in shoes that are too tight?
Good luck and please let us know how she is.
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Clare
26 Mar 2009 19:36
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Well! Blood tests and £235.00 later, nothing wrong with the mare! On a positive note, she has been on her top spec high fibre diet for 3 weeks now and seems to have much more energy. She now shys at lots of things which she didn't bother about before and she even spun round in the road on Sunday morning! Will take her on the arena at the weekend and see how she goes!
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Horse Hero Guru
26 Mar 2009 23:48
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I'm glad things are going better - please let us know how you get on at the weekend
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