Hey guys! I think my issue requires you to know my story so I will give you some background info.
I have a 7 y/o TB x paint gelding. He had a bad stifle injury when he was 2 (I was told by one vet to send him to the glue factory, it was pretty bad!!). I wasn't willing to give up on him because he was so great. He had about 1.5 year break, at a vet's recommendation I hand walked him for exercise, and let kids love on him (working at a summer camp at the time). Well, after that break I started riding him very lightly at first, flat ground, trails, etc.
3 years later he is a phenomenal trail horse, not too fearful, I suspect that was all the time at camp with crazy children. He is still mildly stiff in his right stifle joint and at the walk sometimes will lose it out from underneath him, know how sometimes when you're walking your knee gives out for a second? Kind of feels like that. Other than that it doesn't seem to bother him at all.
I have recently begun trying to do a little more technical stuff with him. I have been afraid to push him too hard because of his injury, he was basically on 3 legs for the better part of a year. I've been working on strengthening him on his right lead in the round pen, but he refuses to pick it up under saddle. He is a very chill, lazy horse. I know he has another gear because he can really turn the speed on when he wants to, but I am just not sure how to tap into that.
I had him at a fun show (games in the arena) last weekend and watching the video of him, holy cow he looks like he's hardly even moving. Like I said I know he has more because I've been on him when he turns it up. I am just wondering if anyone has any idea how to bring out that kind of energy? He seems to just be getting lazier as time goes on.
If anyone has thoughts about the right lead thing I would be open to listening, I've worked him in the round pen on his right lead, asked for the lope turning into a corner, loped him in very tight circles hoping he'd get tired of going right on his left lead, no dice.
He has no professional training, I have done everything myself and I am a backyard rider, nothing fancy coming from me.
I have a 7 y/o TB x paint gelding. He had a bad stifle injury when he was 2 (I was told by one vet to send him to the glue factory, it was pretty bad!!). I wasn't willing to give up on him because he was so great. He had about 1.5 year break, at a vet's recommendation I hand walked him for exercise, and let kids love on him (working at a summer camp at the time). Well, after that break I started riding him very lightly at first, flat ground, trails, etc.
3 years later he is a phenomenal trail horse, not too fearful, I suspect that was all the time at camp with crazy children. He is still mildly stiff in his right stifle joint and at the walk sometimes will lose it out from underneath him, know how sometimes when you're walking your knee gives out for a second? Kind of feels like that. Other than that it doesn't seem to bother him at all.
I have recently begun trying to do a little more technical stuff with him. I have been afraid to push him too hard because of his injury, he was basically on 3 legs for the better part of a year. I've been working on strengthening him on his right lead in the round pen, but he refuses to pick it up under saddle. He is a very chill, lazy horse. I know he has another gear because he can really turn the speed on when he wants to, but I am just not sure how to tap into that.
I had him at a fun show (games in the arena) last weekend and watching the video of him, holy cow he looks like he's hardly even moving. Like I said I know he has more because I've been on him when he turns it up. I am just wondering if anyone has any idea how to bring out that kind of energy? He seems to just be getting lazier as time goes on.
If anyone has thoughts about the right lead thing I would be open to listening, I've worked him in the round pen on his right lead, asked for the lope turning into a corner, loped him in very tight circles hoping he'd get tired of going right on his left lead, no dice.
He has no professional training, I have done everything myself and I am a backyard rider, nothing fancy coming from me.