If you have a lazy horse, you understand how annoying it can be when riding. No matter how many commands you give with your lower leg, the horse ignores it. Riding a lazy horse requires effort, not to mention other problems like stumbling on the trail or flat.
If you are wondering whether there are strategies you can implement to make your horse ride faster, don’t give up yet. There are various tips you can use to motivate your lazy horse and one of them is using the best spurs for lazy horses. Read on to find out how you can make your lazy horse ride faster.
How can I make my lazy horse faster?
Riding a lazy horse is not only frustrating but also a hard job. Luckily, there are several things you can do to make a lazy horse ride faster. Try these tips:
Veterinary examination
It could be your horse has some health conditions that make them lazy and ride slowly. Do a veterinary examination to ensure the horse is in good health. Normally, when a horse is in pain,
they will move slowly compared to healthy horses.
Health issues can be one of the reasons why your horse is lazy. If you find out your horse has health issues, find solutions first and avoid riding them when they are in pain.
Use horse spurs
Using spurs when riding a lazy horse can encourage them to ride faster. It is good to consider ball spurs because they are gentle and safer on your horse. The amount of spurring varies from one horse to the other. If you spur your horse and they get angry, you can try your voice or crop.
Use right communication
Are you communicating with your horse in the right manner? Before you blame the horse for riding slowly, it is good to find out if you are giving commands correctly. In most cases, when a horse does something wrong, it could be miscommunication from the rider. This gives your horse mixed signals.
Be persistent
Do not settle for lower speed. You should constantly put more effort to make your horse ride faster. You don’t have to be too aggressive because the horse understands your requirements. Make sure you give proper commands such that the horse knows what you need.
Teach your horse groundwork techniques
Teaching your horse groundwork techniques is essential in horse riding. This refers to the things you do to the horse on the ground. If your horse is lazy and doesn’t respond to your commands, groundwork techniques come in handy and make them responsive.
You can do various groundwork exercises and this will make your horse attentive and responsive.
Change riding routines
Just like humans, horses too get bored with doing the same things over and over. This can make them get lazy if you do not engage their minds. You can change their routines by trying new exercises and challenges to remove boredom.
Transitions
Using transitions is a better way to encourage your lazy horse to ride faster. Transitions refer to changing the pace or gait.
Related: Find out if it’s legal to use horses for transportation. Get the facts you need to know, including information on equine laws and regulations.
What kind of spurs should be used for a lazy horse?
While there are different types of spurs you can use for horse riding, not all of them are suitable for lazy horses. The best spurs you can use on a lazy horse are Prince of Wales and Tom Thumb spurs.
These spurs not only work well for lazy horses but also work well for young riders. When wearing the spurs, your calves should be closer to the side of the horse. Also, ensure you are not poking the horse accidentally when riding.
How to use spurs on a lazy horse?
One of the main reasons for using spurs on lazy horses is to help get instant reactions through your leg aid when riding. Spurs help you catch the attention of your horse, and this encourages them to ride faster. Sours are available for men, women, and kids, and they also come in various shanks.
If you understand how to use spurs correctly on a lazy horse, you will get good feedback. You need to raise your heel slightly and push the end of the spur shank on the side of the horse. If you notice your horse is slowing down, use the spur, and this will motivate him to ride faster.
Avoid using the spurs too hard because it can be dangerous to the horse. You can end up injuring them or causing discomfort.
When not to use spurs on a lazy horse?
Deciding whether to use spurs or not to depends on the rider and how they use them. if used correctly, spurs do not injure horses. However, if used incorrectly, they can hurt horses, and this is cruel.
It is good to stop using spurs when your horse has pain, skin scratches, and bleeding. If you are also an inexperienced rider, you should not use spurs if you don’t know how to use them well.
You should also avoid using spurs if you use them to punish the horse for not doing what you commanded. This is completely unethical and you should not use spurs for negative reinforcement.
Alternative of spurs to the faster lazy horse
There are other better alternatives you can use instead of spurs. For instance, you can use a crop sparingly when the horse slows down. When using a crop, tap the horse behind your leg and avoid hitting the rump or shoulder. You don’t have to hit your horse excessively, a sing hit will let the horse know he needs to ride faster.
Another alternative to spur is using your voice. Your horse will understand your voice commands. Horses respond well to voice tone when you command them to trot or canter. Keep your voice clear and do not scare the horse.
Related: The 9 Surprising Home Remedies for Cracked Horse Hooves
Conclusion
Having a lazy horse can be frustrating, and it gets even worse if you don’t know what to do to make them ride faster. Spurs act as additional training tools to help your horse ride faster. However, you should not use them to punish your horse.
Training a lazy horse to ride faster can be easy if you follow the above tips. When your horse responds to your commands, and moves faster, praise him to keep him motivated. I hope the tips in this article will geode you to help your lazy horse ride faster.
