Hi. I am just getting back into riding after a 10 year break (YEA for me!). I am riding a very sweet QH that was born just when I had to stop riding so he has been standing around in a pasture on the ranch for 10 years. He is sweet and ridable for pushing cows but has NO flexion & bending. I can't get him to flex & stay on the the bit. I also can not get him to canter consistently, especially to the right. He just doesn't have the muscle tone & coordination to hold himself up. There are no lameness problems, just laziness problems. Help me refresh my memory & get this guy on the right track. He's too sweet to waste the rest of his life!

Thank you! Thank you!
Kris

Lateral flexion is going to come from patience & condition response. Ask (pressure) yield (release pressure). Don't look for miles, start with milimeters.

Vertical flexion isn't important until you have his hind end engaged, which you admit you don't by sayign he's having trouble at canter. Once he's engaged & using his back properly, head set will develope naturally.

And if his right lead canter is weak, dont' work it until you strengthen his hind end. Lateral work with leg yield & shoulder in especially will help his hind end strengthen.

My horse has a weak right side as well and my farrier told me to always work twice as much to the right then to the left until his muscles get equal

Welcome back to the horse world!

When my horse is being lazy with loping, I will just go back to the previous gait and ask again. That should help once he has the strength to actually do so.

I don't have any advice for the flexion part, but for the canter part, just ask for the canter, canter a short distance and go back to trot before he falls out of it. then just increase the distance gradually as he builds up his stamina. Don't make really small circles until he is stronger. Also, don't worry so much about style until he is stronger, just keeping him going and balanced as you can by helping him with a stong, giving outside rein. Linda O

I don't have any advice on flexion, but welcome here!!