How to encourage a lazy pony?

[EquestrianL]

My new loan horse is absolutely lovely, however she can be very reluctant and unresponsive when asked to move up the transitions (walk to trot, trot to canter), especially the transition trot to canter. Any advice would be HUGELY appreciated!!

Baring any health or tack problems, my instructor always used to say:
1)Loads of transitions in all directions if you are in the school,
2) a change of scene - if you can, get out of the school if you always ride in one and school whilst hacking;
3)focus her with some random poles: walk approach, trot after; trot approach/canter after, this helps you focus on exactly what you want as well.
4) Suppling, lateral work even in walk improves the quality of transitions.
5) and (now I'm really starting to channel my instructor - can even hear her exasperated voice!) don't nag with your leg or start kicking. She can feel a fly on her side - she can definitely feel a nudge. Use your stick swiftly if you need to - it's far more humane than kicking her in the ribs every second.

People far more experienced that me will be along, but this are things that I used to work on. It helps to have someone on the ground to keep your morale up! HTH

Is he like this everywhete? I rode a pony that wouldn't go anywhere in an arena but was great everywhere else. He was bored and would switch off completely.

I've no advice I'm afraid. He went hunting which solved his problem.

If the trot to canter transition is particularly difficult it maybe a saddle fit problem. Even if you've recently had the saddle checked by a master saddle fitter, it can still be a saddle fit problem as they do make mistakes.

Is the problem the same on the lunge? Same without the saddle? Same out hacking?

Otherwise it may be a schooling issue - she just doesn't know what you're asking. I would book a good instructor to watch the pair of you. It's difficult to know without seeing, what might be going on.

(Assuming no health, pain, tack fit issues) you need to show her that she is to move forward off a light leg aid and not to ignore it. The method that works on my friend's lazy, opinionated welsh cob who I sometimes ride is... apply a very light leg aid, barely more than a closing of your calf muscles, to request a transition (walk to trot is easiest to start with). Give the horse a few seconds to react, and if they ignore you, quickly give a firmer nudge. If you are still ignored, give a sharp flick with the whip, and perhaps also give a loud growl, shout OI or whatever works to get a reaction. You may well find you get an overreaction, a big rush forwards or a faster pace than you wanted, this is fine. Sit quietly, make absolutely sure you do not fix your hands or pull back on the reins in any way as this will be counter-productive - praise the horse and quietly come back to the walk. Then repeat, again and again and again, until you get a reaction off the quiet leg aid for any transition, direct or indirect (so do walk to canter or halt to trot as well as the direct transitions) and also for transitions within the pace - so you can ask for a bigger or smaller trot without losing the rhythm for example. Make sure to keep praising any forward motion off the leg (even if not precisely what you asked for) and quickly, firmly correctly any ignoring of the leg whatsoever. As bandito says this takes a lot of discipline as you will be tempted to slip back into nagging away with the leg but this is what teaches them to ignore you in the first place so you must be strict with yourself about it.

Other things to consider- horses that are reluctant to move forward are often 'blocking' themselves by not working correctly through lack of straightness, falling in onto the shoulder, overbending etc - so often they also need the rider to work quite hard with the hand and seat to correct them before they can truly work forwards- very often riders drop the contact completely on a backward horse in an attempt to get them moving forward more freely, but that can be the worst thing to do. But of course also you mustn't block her with your position either - getting the balance is hard and something that can only really be learnt through feel and practice. So I would advise getting an instructor to advise you on what exactly is happening with the mare and how to go about improving it

And also echo what bandito said about mixing up what you do with her and incorporate lots of hacking, poles etc should also keep her engaged and on side which always helps!