riding and stopping

Hello All :)

I have had doodles for 6 months now...and we as a family do not ride him that much...which we should....we do it maybe 2 times a week...and its like for about 10-20 minutes around our yard...which is quiet big...2 acers...we all take turns...my children and i... but today...i got on him...and he just didnt want to go...he would go around...the yard two or three times which takes approxiametly a minute...and then after a few times around we usually switch and let someone else go..were 4 in total...but i got on him and he didnt want to go...so i was worried i was to heavy lol...im not a slim girl...but im not obest...im around *wink* 190... he is 14.3 and the weight well i dont no how much he weights...he isnt thin... thats for sure he has a round belly and it sticks out my husband says i made him fat...is it because he is to lazy ? should i ride him more? more often? is he out of shape?

any help would be lovely
Thanks,
Elaine ;) & ofcourse Doodles

Well, I'd say that you might be too big....but that should be no reason that he can't walk around the yard like hes accustomed to doing (although I would ride him more often as well) and he was just being lazy. thats also a training issue, because he obviously doesn't respect you enough to go.

Well thank you for your reply, we will ride him more... :) and i will eat alot of salad LOL :)

Have a nice day !

Elaine & Doodles!

Aw... makes me sad... My uncle was called Doodle (he died two years ago).

Anyway, yeah, sounds more like a respect issue than anything if he's been ok riding around the yard with you and your family haven't had a problem before now. Or maybe he needs more variety... more places to ride? I kno when I ride my horses in the same place a lot, they get really bored with it and eventually quit paying attention to the area and get kinda listless... but put them in a new place and their heads come up, their ears come up, and they become alert and attentive and energetic.

ok well it is getting worse...he will not walk with you on him, someone has to grab his bridal and walk with him to get him to move...is there some sort of exercise i can do with him to get him going? is there a daily training i can do with him to get him into shape?

I think Doodles is telling you he doesn't want to give "pony rides" anymore. I'd give him a real job to do, which means you have to have focus, discipline and consistency as a rider. While I agree that horses should be able & willing to safely give pony rides, I don't think that should be the only thing we ask of the horse.

Find something that you've always wanted to do with horses - dressage, jumping, barrel racing, cow work, trail riding, whatever. Then find a person locally that can help you (and your family) and Doodles learn about that event. All of you will learn a lot & have fun along the way.

Are you riding him with a saddle?

If so, does the saddle fit properly?

Have his feet trimmed recently?

How are you asking him to move out?

Does he seem "off" when he does start walking? Limping, lame, favoring a foot?


Your first step needs to be ruling out pain. If your saddle does not fit him, you are probably causing him a lot of pain. It may not have been an issue at first - but after a while, that starts to hurt! If his feet need trimming, his feet could be hurting him, or his joints may be hurting him due to the improper angles of his feet.

How are you asking him to go? Kicking him? Squeezing? Asking with your seat? How was he trained? If he was trained to move off your seat, like he should have been, he probably doesn't love being kicked and squeezed, and it beginning to protest.

If you have ruled out pain and discomfort, along with asking him to move out incorrectly, then it's likely a respect issue. Do you only bring him in to ride him, then turn him back out? Is he ever worked? Does he see you as the leader, or are you just some other "horse" taking up his time and getting in his space? If he doesn't respect you, he's not going to do anything for you. Simple as that.

Are you riding him with a saddle? Yes i am

If so, does the saddle fit properly? I thought it did, but now that you bring it up...how can i find out?

Have his feet trimmed recently? Regularly!!

How are you asking him to move out? we tap our feet on his belly, not hard, we do not want to hurt him, and it worked when he actually did walk.

Does he seem "off" when he does start walking? Limping, lame, favoring a foot? didnt notice any of that, but i am going to let my daughter up and watch..


Do you only bring him in to ride him, then turn him back out? I bring him out and let him graze all day in the yard all day!


Is he ever worked? He is never worked

Does he see you as the leader, or are you just some other "horse" taking up his time and getting in his space? He is a very good horse he listens to me all the time, i brush and groom him everyday in the evening, he walks next to me beautifuly, he never fusses, ever! i think he is the perfect trained horse...alot of money was spent on the previous owners, which i only spoke with briefly. He always seems like he sees me as the leader, but i have only owned one horse and he is it in my life...so i am bran new at this, i am learning from him..and will not stop until we are both happy :)


also, he is blind in one eye...so i dont no about jumping if that is the category of working him.

and i really appreciate the communication someone who really no's is what i need :) thank you for that

Elaine & Doodles

You're going to need a saddler to tell you if your saddle fits. If you don't have access to a saddler, we have some very experienced saddlers on this forum who could probably help you out. Are you riding him English or Western?

Take pictures of the saddle sitting on your horse's back without the pad. Don't cinch it up, just place it where you normally do. You could be placing it incorrectly as well has having a fit issue. Take pictures from the back, front, and both sides.

This will help you and your saddler determine saddle fit. If the saddler can come out and look in person, all the better.


If you don't notice any lameness and his feet are being trimmed regularly, then you're probably ok in that area. Do keep an eye on him though, both under saddle and at liberty - watch for any signs of discomfort.


As far as working him, this is something we do to keep our horses fit and happy. It need not include jumping, unless you want him to. All you'd need to do it lunge him a few times a week at the walk, trot, and canter. Work him under saddle w/t/c as well.


What was he used for before you owned him? Horses like to have purpose. Some horses are perfectly content to give pony rides and be walked around the yard daily, while others want a job and grow bored and restless very quickly. If there is no other variety in his life besides being walked about the yard, he's probably quite bored and unhappy. Maybe he'd like to be worked in the arena, or go on a nice trail ride. It all depends on the horse.

Either way, a bored horse starts to lose respect for his master, even if the bond they have is strong.

Here's a good article on fitting western saddles:

Western Saddle Fitting and Different Tree Sizes

And a good one on proper placement:

http://www.horsesaddleshop.com/saddl...ing-guide.html