My horse is acting crazy!! please help?

Question

when i ride him in our smaller pasture he rides perfect 90% of the time but whenever i try to ride him in our bigger pasture he acts crazy and keeps trying to dart off like he doesnt want to go over there, today he ran right through the gait and headed for the barn!!(my friend accidently forgot to close it all the way) which is really weird considering hes usually REALLY lazy

i dont think hes afraid because hes in that pasture all the time grazing, and i can ride him around the gait area but once i try to walk forward and go into the bigger area he runs back to the gait =[

i know its kinda hard to explain over the internet but basically i just need to know what to do because ever time i try to get him to walk forward he runs away and if im able to get him over there he wont walk he trys to trot or even canter the whole time, and i normally cant get him to canter at all,what is going on with him??

Answer 1

You are riding him in his "playpen" - that field is where he plays and eats, not where he expects to work. If you are determined and keep at it you should be able to get past this but be patient, it's confusing for him.

Answer 2

Maybe because he is turned out in the larger pasture that he thinks that it is his time to relax not to be worked!  Perhaps you could try leading him in hand in the large pasture and gradually build up adding his tack.  Failing that, build up the size of pasture you work in or perhaps try another pasture of the similiar sixe to see if it makes a differnece.  Hope this helps, good luck!!!

:)

Answer 3

Are you riding him alone, or with a friend?  Are you tking him farther away from other horses on the property?  Some horses get panicky when they get away from the safety they feel around the barn or other horses.

Answer 4

My horse does that all the time. He is kinda lazy too. he only does it when we are facing the way to go home. and he know that the way he is looking is the way home so he tries to run home so he doesn't have to work. What I was told to do is when ever he does that make him do circles. pull his head to thte side like you are flexing him just not as tight. let him go when he stops.(they hate circles) lol everytime he goes faster than you want and he won't stop.. pull his head to the side. If that doesn't work take him to the barn and if you have an area to work him in there do it. if the circles don't work. and if you don't have an area in at the barn then work him and then take him to the barn turn around and go back out and work him again. my horse listens sometimes with the circles but other times i have to work him pretty good. I think it has something to do with getting them worked up. because he is fine until I start runnin him.

              Good Luck = )

Answer 5

I have the same problem, but got my mare to over come it.

The trick is to do a one rein stop. start on the ground in a halter, and flex your horses head back and forth and not releasing until they push their head torward you a bit. Its kinda hard to explain online, but once you get in the saddle all you do when you first get on is one rein stops. Soon when he goes faster or slower then what you would like you can pull him into a one rein stop.

You can find more information on clintonanderson.com.

hope i helped a little!! Good luck.