I hear this about a lot of horses. I used to say it about a lot of horses. But most horses we call lazy are not lazy at all.
Some of them are confused. Often, we tell them “Go” and “Don’t go!” at the same time. They are not sure what we want them to do, so they slow down or stop until we figure it out. If you think about it, this is very generous of them. They could do other things to express their confusion, like buck us off or run away. Can we blame them for requiring clear explanations in a language that makes sense to them?
Some of them believe that our aids mean nothing because we constantly squeeze or nudge or kick or spur them, without explaining to them that it’s a meaningful form of communication. They have learned to ignore our nagging presence in the saddle, because we have taught them to do exactly that. Can we blame them for being good students?
Some of them are in pain. Their feet hurt, or their back hurts, or some other part of them hurts, especially when they carry a rider. Can we blame them for trying to move less when a saddle pinches their withers, or when an unbalanced weight bounces around on their back?
Some of them are unmotivated. They don’t see the point of an exercise, or any arena work. Sometimes, they are bored from doing the same routine every day for weeks or months, often because someone told their riders that program x is the best, always, for every horse, every day, under all circumstances. Can we blame these horses for wanting some variety, or a break from the routine, especially if their riders are just as unenthusiastic as they are?
Some of them are unfit. They have not developed the topline muscles that make carrying a saddle and a rider comfortable. Their posture is not helping them get there. They don’t get enough daily exercise to keep going on an all-day trail ride once a month. Can we blame them for feeling tired, sore, or tight?
Some of them - the ones that make me truly sad - are shut down. They have been trained to avoid any kind of response, to all kinds of stimuli, under all sorts of circumstances. They have been desensitized to anything and everything, including the aids of their rider. Often, these horses are sold as “bombproof.” They may be, at least for a while. But they are not willing, trustworthy partners.
So, no. Most horses are not lazy. A few of them are, but here’s the strange thing: the older I get, the fewer lazy horses I find. And I often think about the ones I kicked and whipped and spurred when I was younger, convinced I was doing the right thing. If I worked with these horses today, would I still call them lazy and proceed accordingly? Or would I try to figure out what they are trying to tell me?
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