Numb to the leg

[maxandpaddy]

Advice please, our new boy is wonderful hes only young and proving to be bombproof and pretty unflappable but hes a bit numb to the leg. A schooling whip lightly backing up the leg has NO effect

I dont like my daughter using spurs but is that the only option to get him to listen at least as a back up to the leg?

[sarahp]

I was always taught to give light leg aid, if no response PC kick, if still no response whip behind leg but at a strength designed to get a response. Then most important, let pony go forward, don't catch in the mouth if he rushes, and praise. But that's for a pony who ought to know better, ie has learned the aids in the first place, it depends how young and how much schooling yours has had. If he's trained to voice aids for lunging, use those at the same time as leg until he has transferred the voice aid to the leg, so to speak.

[maxandpaddy]

Thanks sarahp...hes a 5 year old section D not broken in long so no not done a lot of schooling, we dont want to rush things with this boy so at the moment we're just hacking him out gently and seeing what we have to work with. Hannah says theres no reaction to the leg at all even if she pc kicks, he responds to her seat though so shes using that with the leg and praise but its HARD WORK!

He doesnt react to voice or 'clicking' so she tried carrying a schooling whip and like you said backed up the leg with a tap...still nothing !

He's very laid back....horizontal hahaaa

I wondered if spurs used carefully might help, if he ignores her leg then 'toes out and a bit of spur !!!' to help teach him ??

[clipclop1]

I have aa fell who is exactly the same I Have 4 to ride a day so when its his time I dred it!!

[sarahp]

You could try using the whip on the top of his rump.

[gillwales]

personally I would avoid spurs , he needs to learn to go from a squeeze. Go back to lunging and install voice commands, when he does not respond promptly to forward commands back up with lunging whip. Put up rider and repeat using squeezing along with the voice aides , then go back to being independent with rider with dressage stick , a sharp tap and backed up with lunging stick on floor. Kicking will numb the sides , so will spurs, he obviously has not connected the squeeze with going faster!

[maxandpaddy]

Thanks everyone...will try going back to lunging gillwales and see if it helps, like I said we're not rushing this boy hes very much still a baby, and gorgeous !

[gillwales]

looks like a nice boy, worth taking a bit of time and doing the job properly

[robrocks]

He looks very sweet. Just a thought, I know you have it on the snaffle but why is he in a gag? I'd put him in a loose ring snaffle only, no baucher either (which I do like) just to establish forward.

[izzybepop]

I backed my then 3 yo Welsh C gelding the end of last year and rode him over winter, he was brilliant to do the groundwork with, Although a little lazy, and did not bat an eye to anything asked of him, great on roads, popped over a jump etc. He was just dead to the leg aid and even a whip, just like he didnt feel anything, not even moved his ears to acknowledge!! Although he would move off the leg aid to go up a pace (backed up with voice command) it was just difficult to maintain any energy or impulsion within the pace. it was frustrating and after months of mostly hacking out to get him going forward I turned him away for 7 months wih another youngster to mature a bit and just be a pony again.

He has been back in work a month now and I started him off hacking with a whip whop to get him going more forward. It has really helped him engage his brain, he is getting much better at thinking forward and has much more impulsion within the pace which means I can start asking him for more contact and bend now without struggling to keep him going. I dont bother with a whip as it has no effect but carry a whip whop in case he has a backward moment and it has worked wonders. I have never had a pony like this before and probably never will again ,but he is a lovely kind pony and I think now we seem to have cracked this issue he will be one of the best.

Good luck with your pony, and try out a whip whop to see if it helps.

[catkin]

I have found that some are like this regardless of how well you have started/taught them. Good advice above. Also, I would not school too much. Go out hacking and make the idea of moving forward fun. Good luck

[maxandpaddy]

Oct 15, 2014 17:59:52 GMT robrocks said:

He looks very sweet. Just a thought, I know you have it on the snaffle but why is he in a gag? I'd put him in a loose ring snaffle only, no baucher either (which I do like) just to establish forward.

That was day one and I didnt have anything else that would fit him lol.... hes now in a loose ring snaffle

He is better out hacking than in the school, so yep like already advised we're not bothering with schooling him yet. We'l spend winter having fun out on the roads and encourage forward'ness'ness

He forgets to walk if hes distracted

Not the brightest spark !

Thanks for all the advise, we've taken it all on board xx

[sarahp]

It's entirely possible to do ALL schooling on hacks, in fact you are schooling your horse every time you do anything with him, he doesn't see a difference and it often suits intelligent and easily bored natives better. Spells when they are allowed to go out on a loose rein and others for a bit asked to come together and work harder then relax again, care taken with every transition, and do lots, teach leg yield in walk from side to side of wide paths if you have any on your hacking routes - it's much easier that way to start with than in a school! Make sure you have a correct bend on every turn and that he goes straight on the striaght bits. All this will help develop balance and straightness, as well as obedience and build muscle. Also work on his confidence - sometimes follow another horse if you hack out in company, sometimes make him halt and let the other one go ahead, another time you go ahead, halt and wait for the other one to catch up. Only a few strides at first if it worries him, building up until he's happy with as long as you ask for. It will all stand him in very good stead later on!

Good luck and have fun.

[maxandpaddy]

I just need to work on getting the 16 year old daughter to focus !

I rode him for the first time the other day, gawdddddddd my legs ached for 3 days afterwards!!!! (I havent ridden much for the last 15 years) ....shes right hes numb !

But to be fair on him hes bombproof, just babyish and likes to look at things - not in a spooky way - more hes just curious about his new home and its surrounding area, so is taking everything in. But (typical bloke) he cant do two things at once so walking and gawping is hard to maintain !

Love your post sarahp, I think the hacking out is where most of his schooling will be done, we're lucky to be able to use the local gallops on an afternoon and thats great for some non traffic off road riding, schooling, balance and like you said straightness work. Good advice on the leading and following too as Hannah quite often goes out with a friend , we'l start doing that immediately

Thank you and we will !!!!

[Rockstar]

I Had a little coloured pony years ago who I backed for someone. He was sooooooooo lazy and numb to the leg - sounds much like your boy.
I carried 2 schooling whips with a small piece of plastic bag tied to the ends. If I didn't get a response from a squeeze then I tapped with the sticks. It got him going forward beautifully without having to hit him very hard at all.

I would be careful if you're on anything very spooky though as it can be scary for them!

[maxandpaddy]

That might help a sharp whack has nooooo effect but noise does seem to get his attention

Luckily he doesn't do spooky just dense

I love him, hes just so funny and gentle and kind its hard to take things seriously because he makes u laugh.
Hes like a big toddler...so we have to be careful and consistent at this early stage !!

[sarahp]

Do remember to praise him when he does go forward, and let him go, at whatever speed he chooses for a bit - it's so easy to grab the reins if a young pony goes off with a jerk which is the last thing you want to do as it gives him mixed messages. Thinking about this thread again, most advice has been how to get him to actually go forward, rather than what to do when he does, which is so vitally important in the teaching process.

[maxandpaddy]

Update, we're keeping everything fun. Hannahs hacking him out with others over jumps and hes improving. Hes actually enjoying it so the forward'nessss comes more easily

We've backed off on the schooling altogether for now it just switches him off. Plans are stick to the hacking out, get him to some little local shows later on this year and let him look at stuff, maybe a few clear round entries but nothing major

The lunging and getting him to respond to the voice proved a bit useless - he just stands there looking at you like your mental. Never known a horse so unaffected by whats going on around him and the irate woman sounding like Barbara Woodhouse trying to jolly him along, yet in the field hes a complete looney ! Hes like a toddler and never stops playing and larking about, drives the other horses crazy...go figure?

We knew when we bought him he needed time and we were right, luckily hes hysterically funny and keeps us amused without trawling the country to shows!

Still numb to the leg though!