luvhorsesxo
Posted : 11/28/2010 4:25:03 PM
About my experience: I rode for like a year when I was a kid, then I had a break and now ride again since over 6 years... And usually I don't have problems with my aids and I got a lot of slow horses to go forward, so that isn't the problem. I sometimes take lessons for tests and certificates but also ride horses of my friends or my lovely Grand Slam on my own. And I sometimes ride a horse who usually doesn't go forward at all but after 20 minutes of work with him I can get a nice working speed...
Usually I start with only squeezing my legs slightly, if the horse doesn't respond I tap him with my lower leg, if even then there's no response, I give him a light "kick" with my heel and if that doesn't work I pat him with my whip. I try to apply lightest aids possible and when the horse finally responds I repeat the same thing with lighter aids...
The problem with this horse is: we already are at the "whip-tap-stage" and he still doesn't respond immediately. I know and I don't ask him to walk like a TB since he's old but mostly the upward-transition to trot and keeping the trot is the problem... The transition to the canter is totally easy and his canter is a very good speed....
Once he's warmed up he walks ok but mostly in the first 15 minutes he's very lazy. But that problem disappears when we go on trails. So I think it is because he's bored of riding in the arena.
And I am also not a huge fan of spurs, never used them on Grand Slam and only using them if an instructor or a friend ask me to.