Giving a pony more “get up and go”

[Pheobe]

I have a 6yr old connie who can be very lazy when being ridden. He is fit hacked out 3 times a week during winter and more in summer including hill work. When hacking he will have short burse of energy and then fall back asleep. I have lessons weekly with a qualified instructor and we are obviously working on this and using different tactics as he takes no notice of my leg. I am 31yrs old and have always had horses so not a novice.
He is up to date with teeth, physio etc and nothing wrong.
He is fed on Baileys No. 4 as he struggles with his weight, we have in the past tried Equerry Conditioning Cubes and a Topspec (can’t remember which is was) is condition/weight has defiantly improved, he also has adlib hay and is turned out every day.
I do not want something like a racehorse I just don’t want to be getting after him all the time.
Does anybody have any ideas? Could I put something in his feed to give him more energy?

[bigmama]

Red Cell?

[gillwales]

I would see if he is aneamic. You have to re-school him to your leg, use a leather covered schooling whip. Use Vocal aids so make sure he responds to these. Squeeze once, repeat using vocal aide then back up using a squeeze, vocal aide and sharp swish with the schooling whip. Avoid spurs. It is no good tickling him. He has to learn to respond to a squeeze. Has your instructor ridden him? Does he go the same for her? Keep his work varied, does he speed up when returning home when hacking? Please let us know what works for him. Good luck x

[hazeysunshine]

Had the same issue with my lad and schooling helped so much doing the squeeze thing mentioned. His fitness plays a massive part and mixing it up with jumping lessons has given him more get up and go. I have tried most feeds and the only one I've had any success with is Allen and age power and performance. He has a tiny sprinkle morning and evening, I don't feed the recommended amount because I ended up on the floor when that happened. It just helps give him more oomph and sparkle.

[sarahp]

Reschooling as described - although I was taught squeeze, if no response good PC kick, if still no response stick! And remember to praise when you get the response you want - try not to pull back if you get more than you asked for, it can be refined later and would only confuse the horse. But the same principle. It is important though to make sure you don't give any aids in between as it's constant niggling with the legs that trains them to be dead to the leg in the first place.

Anaemia in the horse is far more complicated than in humans - they can store red blood cells in the spleen and release them when required so it needs more than a simple blood test to diagnose, that's one for your vet.

As regards feeding, I'm always wary of trying to gee them up with feed as so often that means sugar and starch which isn't ideal. I haven't looked at the Allen and Page so that's a general comment. I'd go for a balancer first to make sure all necessary micronutrients are supplied.

[hazeysunshine]

Know exactly what you mean most comp mix type feeds are essentially just molasses. A&p is low starch and molasses free, only one I've found

[sageandonionagain]

I think you ought to get him blood tested as it is unusual for a connie to struggle to hold weight, quite the reverse in fact apart from the fizzy wirey type of connie (which he clearly isn't). If he is only hacked three times a week he is not fit.

[Pheobe]

Thank you all for your advice.
Since writing this post I have taken him to an eventing clinic, he was a completely different pony, forward going and enthusiastic all the time, he must clearly be board in our usual flat lessons. I have changed our hacking routes and that as also helped.
I am still going to keep up with my lessons but not have 1 every week and keep doing other things.
He is fit enough for what we do, can easily hack our for hours, we have fantastic off road hacking and its hard to ride more in winter when working as I also have a little boy and no facilities at our farm. x

[sarahp]

Natives in general are intelligent and easily bored doing lots of flatwork in an arena. Changing routes a good idea, and doing some schooling on hacks too, sounds as if you should utilise your hacking to keep him mentally stimulated rather than ride in an arena except for lessons. Perhaps what he really wants is to be a jumping pony if the eventing clinic fired him up so maybe pole work and grids in the arena incorporated in his schooling would work for him?

[justliloldme]

Freestep Superfix and Fitness, food alone no good as just stodges them makes them gain weight and then they get lazy

[clo]

Red cell? has always worked for my horses and ponies without blowing their minds

[cg]

I used to have this problem too and always had the same replies as above but it never quite worked. I know have mine on Winergy Equilibrium medium energy (can get high or low) which is a chaff and is fantastic. Then in competition season I feed with allen and page power and performance and the week before an event I feed him Propell plus by Equine America, hope that helps. x

[bustersgirl]

Connies!! That's your problem!! haha. I also have a very lazy conny. I use a syringe of energex from Science supplements prior to any kind of more physical work. I know they do this is a powder supplement too. He also has rolled oats in his feed and I vary the amount according to what he has on. You can really play with oat quantities according to your needs. In his lesson days and shows, he has 3 cups instead of the usual 3/4. My conny really responds to doing loads if different things and varying it up. Also I have to be quite strict with him when working - If you let him plod around he will! Hes hilarious with a novice rider he looks like a riding school pony. I also sent him swimming for a week to higher spen in Burnley and he came back on absolute top form. Good luck x

[gillwales]

Glad to read that you found something that worked, now you know what makes him tick.... or ticked off you know what to do