Training Tip: Getting a Lazy Horse to Move

Naturally laid-back horses make great partners, especially for beginner riders. However, those horses tend to be on the lazy side and don’t like to move forward. You’ll ask them to canter, and they’ll pick up the gait for a stride or two and then break down to a slow trot. They get what I call “sticky feet.” If the issue isn’t addressed, it’ll only get worse.

If you’re working with a laid-back horse that tends to get lazy, here’s a tip to put energy in his feet.

Tip #1: Establish a Gas Pedal on the Ground

Before attempting to address your horse’s sticky feet under saddle, make sure you have plenty of “go” on the ground. If your horse drags his feet on the ground, he’ll be even worse under saddle. So your first order of business is to double-check that you’ve got a good gas pedal on the ground.

Go straight back to Roundpenning, the very first exercise in the Fundamentals Series. As soon as you point up in the air to signal the horse to move forward, he should give you a “Yes, Ma’am” response. That means that he immediately moves forward energetically.

If he stands and looks at you, pays no attention to you, or waits a minute or two before shuffling forward, he doesn’t have a good gas pedal and you need to do your homework.

You want your horse so hooked on you that as soon as you ask him to move by pointing with your hand, he immediately responds. Once he’s moving around the roundpen, you should be able to speed his feet up by raising your hand and pointing in the air.

If you get rid of any laziness and lack of respect on the ground first, when you get on your horse he’ll be a lot more willing to go forward.

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