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Discussion on My horse is lazy, but.....
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Member:
kchariot
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 27, 2007 - 12:05 pm:
My trainer tells me all the time my horse is lazy. Yesterday, we brought her home and put her out in the pasture (the trainer does not have one at his place.)
We got a little concerned when, after about 2 hours, she layed down. She was still grazing while laying there. We got her back up and she walked around for about ten minutes. She then layed down again, but was still grazing!
Is she just lazy, lethargic, or should we have the vet check her out? We never saw a horse do this.
She has no signs of lameness. She has been in training for 3 months. She is 7 years old and we are just getting her rein trained (she is a retired thoroughbred racehorse.)
She only gets about 2 cups of Purina Adult Equine and all the grass she wants. Should we boost up her food or give her something to boost her energy without making her high?
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Member:
ekaufman
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 27, 2007 - 1:38 pm:
Hi Kathy,
What's her condition? What's her fitness level? What's her training history? How does her "laziness" manifest itself exactly under saddle?
I'll admit that I would leap to a training issue (and possibly a trainer mis-match) rather than a horse problem. Horses must be educated carefully to be light and forward. Resistance under saddle that seems like laziness may be pain, but is more often confusion or resentment (if she feels coerced). OTT horses sometimes know very little about typical flatwork, and need to be treated as if they were newly backed.
I have several that graze lying down. I had a 5 month old come out of sedation (gelding) and refuse to get up until he'd grazed for 10-15 minutes. It never crossed my mind that this was pathological. What my "recumbent grazers" have in common is intelligence, an interest in food, and a high level of trust in their environment. I'll be very curious to learn if this is something that should make me worry instead of laugh.
Good luck with her. Hope it's something that's easily modified under saddle.
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Member:
jojo15
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 27, 2007 - 4:09 pm:
I'm laughing now too!! thanks for the giggle elizabeth...
you have probably exactly what e. says. a highly trusting smart TB... once they are happy and content in their situation? mine are always lounging on the ground like that. 
how long has this horse been off the track. literally they need to learn from scratch practically on everything. best advice i ever got, but didn't heed. till i was pulling my hair out. is to take an OTTB and put them out to pasture for about a year... let them learn to be a horse again. they forget in that pampered environment. or never knew how to be one in the first place. Maybe he just needs a vacation!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Saturday, Dec 29, 2007 - 10:19 am:
I agree that laying while grazing is not necessarily a sign of problems but not the same as saying there is no problem. What leads your trainer to say she is "lazy"?
DrO
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