slow horse

Question
Hello im about to purches a horse quarter horse 6 yrs old which has always been trail ridden with another mare which im not buying. he will only follow her on trails . but has not been ridden for a year . but he has no trouble takin the saddle .my question is do u think i can get him to canter or gallop after a fashion on his own he seems to be very lazy. but hes a sweet horse i want him to trail ride in the state parks with my friend im just worried he wont keep up . but then i wonder its because he was a childs horse and was never taught to move out . thank u  

Answer
Hello,

Congradulations on your decision to buy a horse, it is an exciting time indeed.  If this horse has primarily been used as a trail horse, then he very well may be just lazy and never asked to move forward, especially if he was a child's horse.  Also, having not been ridden for a year he is out of shape and probably not that excited with the idea of being ridden again.  Most horses as they are conditioned will gain some spunk.  I have ridden horses which were excessively lazy, but once conditioned, perked up quite a bit.  I did alot of trotting to condition them as they have had a hard time keeping the stamina to canter.  Also, he may just have to be ridden strongly to get him moving out.  If you are a strong rider, I am sure you will have no trouble encouraging him to go forward.  You can use a riding crop or mild spurs if neccessary in the beginning as needed.  As far as riding on other trails or with other horses, usually once a horse is placed in a new setting, they will go along with the others well and I wouldn't suspect any problems, especially if he goes quietly now with the other mare.  Good luck and enjoy your new horse.