Leading A Stubborn Horse

© 2005-2009, Keith Hosman - All Rights Reserved

Learn: A quick fix for getting a horse moving again if he freezes up when being led.

How many times have you begun to lead your horse through a gate, only to have him freeze up a few steps before it? Or maybe he stalls out while you're leading him, plants his front feet and refuses to take one more step? Does he do these things? Uh-oh. In the words of John Lyons, "You ride the horse you lead," so stubbornness and attitude in situations like this suggests that you have bigger problems than you might think. Let's fix these things but let's also begin seeing them for what they are: Warning signs.

If your horse doesn't walk with you smoothly and willingly, if he drags on that lead rope or otherwise thumbs his nose at you, you need to deal with it right then and there. (This goes for young and old, green or experienced.) If you're leading your horse out to the arena, trail or what-have-you to ride and your horse balks and you ignore it then not only have you missed an opportunity to improve your relationship with your horse, you've ignored potential danger. Your horse has just told you "I'll go along with you only so far." Worse, he's told you he's ready to rebel to get his way. It doesn't take a genius to see that such rebellions (whether in the horse's mind or acted out in the real world) can lead to some major doctor bills.

Now, don't get me wrong, balking is part of horse ownership for a variety of reasons and is to be expected. A few examples: Leaving a horse out in the pasture for any length of time is going to dull his manners. Young horses are going to test you repeatedly in new and unfamiliar situations (a new trail course, his first show, etc.). Experienced lesson horses are going to test inexperienced novice riders and so on. Even the well-trained show horse of the most accomplished equestrian is going to test the boundaries occasionally. It's natural in the same way that we drive 36 in a 35 mph zone, (until we see the officer holding the speed gun, of course). Horses, like human teens, will test you daily. What matters is not that they do this; what matters is how you handle the incident and with what consistency.

When horses behave poorly, it's for one of two pretty obvious reasons: They're doing it because such poor manners have worked in the past (to get them out of something) or the opposite is true and "it just came to them." This then leads to one pretty obvious conclusion: Horse owners need to deal with "new bad" behavior as soon as it occurs, before it becomes repeated and practiced. This is not to say that we need to wig out and beat or otherwise scare our horse's into cardiac arrest when he pulls a stunt (such as refusing to enter the gate), but rather the opposite. Dealing with issues immediately, in a consistent and calm manner, will accomplish two things: 1) We tell the horse "Nice try, but that'll get you nowhere" and 2) We prevent the situation from being "bigger" the next time. That is, if you make it a big deal this time, you've guaranteed it to be an even bigger (and perhaps more dangerous) situation the next time. Beat Ol' Dobber today for being afraid and tomorrow he'll have good reason to be scared.

First a warning: No matter what, do not stand in front of your horse (the horse that won't move) in such a way that he could run into you (or over you), should he lurch forward. Keep to the side, at the horse's shoulder. Also, be careful to place your weight so that you can jump away, should he come at you unexpectedly. Finally, when I work near a horse I don't trust, I keep one hand on the horse, (against his shoulder, for instance) not to stop him, but because it tells my brain faster "the horse has moved."

Okay, so making an issue out of something with your horse now only makes it harder on both of you later. The horse looks at the gate and imagines something bad is going to happen should he walk through it. He balks. You lose your temper and chase him screaming and flailing for twenty minutes. The horse then has proof, "I was right. Bad things do happen at that gate." Your molehill has just become a mountain.

Whether you own a horse that's a proven pill to lead or you're working with a youngster, begin to see yourself as a living pinball when the two of you are walking together. That is to say, challenge yourself to keep "rolling" fluidly regardless of what obstacles you might encounter: In the same way that the pinball doesn't freeze up and stop when it hits something (it right away changes course and rolls on), you need to concentrate on perpetual movement. Should your horse balk, get it moving again smoothly and immediately. That means any body part, in any direction. So, if I've described your situation (balky horse / young horse that's learning to lead) in this article, try this out. Lead your horse from Point A to Point B and tell yourself before taking that first step, that the two of you will be in perpetual motion (using the simple methods I'll describe below) until you remove the halter. That simple exercise alone will open your eyes to leaks in your horse's training.

I should probably cop to an obvious factor here with our prescription of "keep him moving." If your horse freezes up and you two stand there, with you either pulling on the lead rope shouting expletives or standing there begging, obviously you're not going anywhere and will never get through the gate so of course we want movement. Duh. But there's more to this "get him moving" thing then getting through the gate today. Keeping his feet moving in a business-like way (and without pain) teaches him respect for you as leader and pays dividends later on the trail, in the arena or when just hanging out grooming.

It should also be noted that I believe that the horse that pulls back on the halter and moves only begrudgingly is as guilty of balking (and thus in need of a fix) as the horse who plants his front feet and stands rock solid. (Again, you ride the horse you lead. Pull on the lead rope today, pull on thereins tomorrow.) Now, in the real world, I wouldn't expect you to stop and spend twenty minutes with your horse each and every time you feel the slightest transgression. We have to factor in a little common sense here. I look at it this way: If I'm leading my horse out, planning to spend time working with it that day anyway and he drags then he's just said "Let's work on leading instead of (whatever)." If I simply have no time to work with the horse and I'm only leading him to turn out, for instance, then I get those feet of his moving again quickly (can't reward him for balking even when time is tight), get him into the stall or turned out and make a mental note to spend more time "training leading" later.

How do we get those feet moving if the horse begins to drag or simply stops? This is what I'd do: We don't want the horse to line up his skeletal system against us (gaining strength and lasting power), so we begin by putting a bend in his neck. Without loosening the tension on the lead rope (even if it means carefully transferring my "pull" from one hand to the other as I move about), I'd step to the side, in effect pulling the horse's head/neck toward me by several inches. Now, while this might get some horses moving again, the more recalcitrant equine will lean away and plant himself, allowing you to pull his neck practically to his tail. "Uh-uh, ain't gonna move." And, if you think about it, pulling his head too far out of whack places his shoulders, feet and overall weight into a position that actually makes it more difficult for him to move around as you're asking. It's like if you were playing tug of war, you'd be hard pressed to step forward from that "pulling position" without shifting your weight. You'd first have to adjust your balance by rocking one way or the other and the same goes for your horse. Keep that in mind when you ask him to move forward when he's frozen up, pulling away.

The trick is just this: Guide his head off the side a few inches, then get his rear end moving. That's his motor; use it to get some movement and break the stalemate. Ask him to move those back legs sideways (in effect away from you) or his entire body forward: Cluck to him. If that doesn't get those legs moving, try waving your arm toward his rear. If or when that doesn't work, take up the end of your lead rope and whirl it (away from your horse so as not to startle it into jumping on top of you if you've got a wingnut out there). Whirl it ever closer and if still nothing, whack him on the butt. Did you notice how I didn't say "Start by whacking him on the butt"? Always test the waters for two reasons: 1) You want the horse to work on less, that is, to move when you cluck; you don't want to have to smack him each time and 2) The horse might react to "the smack from nowhere" by knocking you on the floor. Start small. You can always add pressure.

A special note: Have ya noticed how I haven't prescribed "forcing the horse to move backwards with a couple of jerks on the lead rope"? That's because, from everything I've seen, all this manages to accomplish is to train the horse to throw his head up, stretch out his front feet, arch his back and move backwards with zero agility, still scared. Plus, the chicken in me is always afraid those front hooves are going to swing up and clean my clock if I push too hard asking for a back up in such a manner.

So what have we got so far? We've got a horse that wouldn't budge, now moving his back feet. If he's walking forward, great! If he's simply pivoting on his front end, then we need to get those shoulders moving. Either way, it's time to improve our role as "team leader." In nature, if Horse A can cause Horse B to move his feet, then both tend to believe that Horse A is in charge. We'll play on that logic here by insisting that our horse moves lightly and obediently when asked.

So to really take charge, we need to get those shoulders unlocked. More often than not, they'll plant those front feet and when we try to move him, we're dragging the shoulders around. What I like to do is to stand at the horse's left shoulder, facing him, lead rope in my left hand about six inches below his jaw and apply pressure to his hip by staring at it, then by clucking, then whirling the lead and finally by bopping him with it, should he continue to ignore my request to move "something." (Naturally, you'll later reverse your stance, standing on the horse's right (opposite) side, practicing "over there" as well.) His hips should move because you've been practicing that. However, now we're going to ask for something more, namely those shoulders. What I want you to do is to apply slight downward pressure on the lead (just a few pounds, as if to say "Don't go forward") while simultaneously asking for some movement. He'll move his hips but you keep pressuring the horse to keep guessing and to ultimately move his shoulders, however slightly, to your left (his right). Make him understand (via your applied pressure) that he needs to keep moving and to keep trying to find the answer ("move the shoulders"). He can only move x-many body parts y-many directions so he'll figure this out pretty quick, they always do. Be patient, patient, patient.

When you first begin, release and pet when he even leans in the proper direction. Release if he lifts himself or shuffles his feet as if to move the shoulders. Release if you think he's even thinking of moving those shoulders. Learn to build (through the timing of your release) on these small improvements and soon he'll be moving solidly (and directly) to the side.

Before you know it, you'll have the horse easily sidestepping his hips and shoulders fluidly and evenly, in either direction, together or individually. When the horse begins moving lightly sideways, as if skating on ice, you'll also find that he'll obligingly move forward and backward as well. You'll notice that he'll drop his head lower than before, not push on the lead rope, lift his belly and bow slightly away from you through the center of his body. From here it's a simple thing to stand progressively farther away and ask your horse to move specific body parts. Practice this and give it a shot anytime your horse drags on that lead. He'll soon be reminded that it's far easier to simply walk forward pleasantly.

Tips:

1) As goofy as it sounds, horses are prey animals and they can really tell what part of their body you're staring at. If you want to move the hip, pick a small part of that hip and stare at it, doing what it takes to "move that spot." This will also serve to keep you focused on the simple task at hand.

2) Do your very best to move as little as possible while practicing this. When I teach this, I probably never move off a space the size of a briefcase. Sure, I move (pivot) when necessary, but it's not a matter of moving several feet in any one direction. Tell yourself, "If he can do it, so can I."

3) Remember, once you apply pressure (to the reins or the lead rope), any lightening of your pull, however slight, could reward the horse at the wrong time. Be very careful to keep even pressure (even if you have to carefully swap hands as you reposition yourself) until the horse earns a proper release.

4) Always have a back up plan when you pick up the lead rope. Ask yourself, "If the horse ignores this request, what am I gonna do about it?" Example: You bring the horse's head slightly toward you, expecting him to take a step. Instead he stands there, parked out. You bring out your back up plan, which might be to snap his rear with the lead, it might be to keep even pressure on the lead and walk to the opposite side of the horse, it might be to make his nose touch his rear. Regardless, always have a "What to do if the horse refuses my request" backup plan.

5) Don't forget the horse needs to practice each maneuver from both the left and right sides. Expect him to be better on one side than the other and compensate for this by spending more time on the weaker side.

6) If your horse tries throwing up his head and crowding you with it (and they try this frequently), then shove your hand (the one closest to his head; the one holding the lead) high into the air, towards his ear. If you know "Welcome Back Kotter," raise your hand quickly like Arnold Horshack, as if trying to get the teacher's attention; that's the movement I'm looking for. The sudden movement will back him off and tell him he's made a mistake. Be sure to hold on firmly to the lead as you make this motion; yanking his head is part of "the fix."

7) The best tip I can give: If your horse just kind of parks out on you, that is, he won't move his shoulders or won't move period, then you're not applying enough pressure to his buttocks. You need the horse to be thinking move, move, move. Use common sense here, but remember, the energy you put in is often the energy the horse puts out. In other words, if you go to sleep, don't be surprised if your horse does as well.

8) Wanna test yourself and your horse? Bring your horse's body parallel to a large gate (very prevalent here on the farm or most equestrian centers) and slowly, very slowly, swing the gate toward your horse. If you've properly trained your horse, you should be able to hold his head steady as his front and back legs sidestep smoothly and evenly away from that gate.

Finally, a warning: If you have a horse that wants to blow dangerously past you, stop what you're doing and call a pro. Period. End of lesson. Call a professional and save big on doctor bills.

This article is part of the "Leading a Horse" series. To read more, or to find a clinic or Certified John Lyons horse trainer near you, visit horsemanship101.com.

About the Author

Keith Hosman If your horse won't speed up, slow down, stop or turn, you missed the latest training methods from Josh and John Lyons.  Have you lost your confidence?  Want a horse to brag about?  Invest one weekend to make big changes with John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman.  Keith is based near San Antonio, TX and is available for clinics, private sessions and training.  He frequently conducts clinics and demonstrations with an event coming soon to a town near you. For more horse training articles, or to attend a clinic or find a John Lyons trainer living in your area, visit horsemanship101.com now.   No part of this article may be reproduced without the express written permission of Keith Hosman. To contact us regarding reprints or syndication of our articles (in print or online), please contact us via www.horsemanship101.com.