My horse won't listen to me?

Question

Thank you!

Anyways, I've had an 9 year old QH gelding since January this year. He is broke to ride in western pleasure or bareback. I've been riding him bareback almost everyday.

My first problem: When I put the bridle on and lead him into the roundpen to ride him, he won't budge unless I pull on the reins really hard. Then he jerks his head, etc. How can I lead him with a bridle, and not having to put a halter on under the bridle? I don't know why he doesn't like to be led with a bridle.

#2: When I get on him to ride, he won't go straight. I'll click to him, kick, etc. To get him to go forward, I have to veer him to the right, or left, and let him start walking, then veer back over straight. It gets annoying after a while, to keep doing that, when I could just click to him and him walk straight.

#3: I basically have to /beat/ him to make him move! And he's only 9 (my friend rides a 14 yo horse that canters and everything) It's like he's almost immune to pain. I kick him, he just stands their, I click my tongue off, tap him with the reins, etc. If I ever to get him to walk, he won't for long. Then he stops again. But about 15 mins into the ride, he will listen pretty well. He wasn't like this when we bought him. He used to be a joy to ride a few months ago.

Do I need to send him to a trainer, or what? I don't want him to hate me. :(

Thanks so much for your help in advance!

Answer 1

You say you've been riding bareback a lot. He's balking, won't go straight, and is generally unhappy about moving all together. To me, this suggests discomfort or pain. If a horse has something going on pain-wise, it will become most apparent when you start riding bareback because their is no buffer or cushion there. It's our seat-bones against their backbone. I'm not saying it's not sourness, but until you rule out pain issues to be fair, don't push the horse, he'll resent it. Get a thumbs up from a chiropractor (an adjustment isn't very expensive) and then set to the behavioral portion of the issue, if their still is one.

Answer 2

#1, well, if ur not walking one the side of he leading him, (if not walk on the side of him)or u could do the way my grandpa should be, walk in a circle and the do it(my horses will go in after that) or spank,slap, him on the hind end with ur hand or reins.also mabey he is getting bored in the roundpen, mabey u should ride in the pasture.

#2, well mabey with out realizing it ur putting more pressure on one rein that the other, if not already, get the reins even and tie a not in them

#3,well it might be dangerouse but wen ur on him get some one wen ur clicking to him hit him in the feat with reins or do it wen ur off him, or will rideing him dont tape him with the reins show hi wose bose slap the hide of off him with them reins, and if sumtin happens by all means hang on or he will kno u can thro ya

Answer 3

well first off problem 1:it is either because he is in pain or he is scared.have the vet come out and give him a ceck up(and have her check his tack too)he could be scared for some reason(u know ur horse so i guess thats up 2 u 2 figure out)

problem 2 and 3: he is probably dead to the leg so carry a crop(take off ur spurs if u wear them, you could be accidently spurring him when u ride which will make him dead to the leg)and first squeeze then squeeze and hold then squeeze etc. and finally give him a smack with the crop if he still hasnt listened, but if he even moves and inch forward from u squeezing then praise him and squeeze again and try it again but whatever you do...do not punish him for not doing it right and you hav to hav patients and be willing to work with him and third do not ask him too go sideways in order to go forward this will teach him sideways is forward and tht is not correct.

remember: know what you want your horse to do and have a clear plan of how to excute it in your head and if it helps(i do this lol)make a list of how you want your riding lesson to go exactly for example: walk for 2 minutes in each direction and do up transistions to get him thinking forward and moving STRAIGHT from the leg etc.

good luck :)

Answer 4

1) when your pullling for him to go follow you , dont put all your body wieght and heavy amounts like that because that just makes them want to stay more, is what I have found. to get him to go dont look at him and face forward and just keep walking and eventually he will have to follow and when he does dont stop because he'll think that all he has to do, keep going but whilst in motion pet him and priase for doing what you want. if that still doesnt work try a treat.

2) I road a 11yr old mare that did the same extreamally annoying thing to me! well smacking her with a crop, then instead a dressage whip still wouldnt budge her(you can try those but they didnt work for that , but for other things yea!) ok let go of the tight grip on the riegns you  have created and let them go as loose as air but stil holding them, put them out striaght in front of you and SQUEEZE and lightly tap and if that still doesnt work keep doing what you are doing and then when he stops and you have to veer maybe spuring? might hwlp or ask a trianer

3)spur? crop?voice? light squeezes, but don't pester him with constant thuds, because that he get immune to. Uh he may just be a pokey horse

BUT IF HE DOESNT WANT TO WORK CONSULT A TRIANER/VET    because there may be a joint issue or some kind of prob that you didn't know!

have fun, you will get through it, I did

Answer 5

You may need to get a vets advice. He might have a colic or something, if he's sick, it might make it worse to force him to do stuff. If he's not ill, then try being extremely nice to him. Give him treats when he moves and don't punish him for anything, even if he messes up. Horses sometimes just get pissed. Its like horsie pms. Butter him up.

Answer 6

Your horse may have been mistreated at some time and is reacting to that now.  You may want to set up cameras in his area to see if anyone is abusing him now.

You may want to refer to a competent trainer to see if that is the problem.  If it is, the horse needs to be retrained to get over his stubbornness from his previous/current experiences.

Good luck.

Answer 7

He may be bullying you.  When he learns to respect you he will listen better to your commands. Horses have personalities like people and will try to push you. View this site http://www.saferhorseracing.com/gpage5.h... and look for the Horse Whisperer.

Answer 8

You need to let your horse know that YOU are the boss. if he doesn't like leading with a bridle, constantly pull his head with the reins at medium strength until he takes a step. then reward him with a pat and a release of reins. do this again. eventually he should just know that he can't get away with being picky and will obey you every time.

If he won't go straight use the same method. kick, click, tap him with the reins constantly without veering him left or right. when he goes just one step forward, release the reins and give him a pat. continue doing this until he gets the idea.

Answer 9

1. If he won't go, smack him. Use a lunge whip or crop and smack him on the shoulder or butt. I know this sounds mean or violent, but it wont hurt him (unless you do it really hard). You need to let him know that you are in charge, and he can't do whatever he wants.

2. When you get on him, squeeze with your inside leg so he'll go on the rail. If he is not responding to just your leg, put on spurs.

3. It sounds to me like you've let your horse get away with things for way too long. He needs to know that you're in charge. If kicking him doesn't work, use a crop. Put it on the inside, and tap his butt when he won't go. If this doesn't work, try spurs. If that doesnt' work, try them together, but be cautious. Also, dont compare your horse to your friends. Even if they were the same age, they're still different horses. Their training will always be different, and they'll just have different personalities. His problems could possibly be because he doesn't feel good. This is his way of telling you. Call your vet for a checkup, and see if there's something wrong with him.

Answer 10

Do not get spurs.  Do not yank on his head with the reins. Do not kick him repeatedly until he finally gives in.  If you don't know how to understand a horse you should never be using a spur...and if you ever DO use a spur it better be a dull one and it better just be because you're showing.  Never yank on a horses head unless he/she is running away with you and you are afraid for your life.  Kicking him and beating him, spuring him and whiping him are only going to create problems for him in the future.

Obviously, your horse is unhappy.  Do you ONLY get him out to ride?  Do you ride him every day..do you only ride in the round pen??  Horses are smart animals and the same thing daily can become monotonous and even dull....as it should for you.  I have had horses for nearly 20 years.....and I don't ride them all the time..although i spend hours a day with my horses.  I spend hours grooming them and finding their most itchy places and talking to them and brushing their tails.  I can tell you which side my horses are most dominate to lay on and I can tell you which leg each mare will lead with and which she is more strong.  

It sounds like you horse and you have no connection.  Some horses can't form connections with people..one of my mares is very standoffish and would rather if you leave her alone..and when she is worked on a daily basis she becomes a huge wench and will stand still and not move for anything..not if you beat her head in with a mallot...

My suggestions..start your rides out differently.....take him to the side yard and let him graze a little..and brush him..find his itchy spots.  Or take him in the round pen and just play with him..walk around..tell him about your day...don't put a halter on him just see if he follows you...see if you can get him to follow you..follow him.....learn about your horse.  There is a lot more to owning horses than simply riding them.

Answer 11

go to an equine chiropractor!

your horse is obviously telling you something.

do a lot of round pen work with and without a lunge line. always use a lunge whip but dont beat him with it.  make circles in a forward motion behind the horse to make him move.  make him walk trot jog lope and canter each direction atleast three or four times a week.

good luck!

Answer 12

I would start riding with a jumping crop. They are cheap and easy to carry.

1) Lead him at the shoulder with your reins in your right and and the crop in the left (a dressage whip would work better here but no need to buy two whips). If he stops, ask him to move foward (make sure you are not pulling so the bit is hitting his teeth/mouth hard). If he doesnt move straight away smack him with the crop where your leg would be. If you do get a whip just flick him with it. If he doesnt respond try again but put a little more behind the smack. It shouldnt take but once or twice.

2) Again get the crop. Go into the arena and give him your prefered command to get him to move. I dont personally like voice commands (kisses/smooches/est) to be the sole command but thats just me. So, give him the command and if he doesnt step off smack him on the butt or right behind your leg. Butt is easier but I think behind your leg is more effective. The seconds he moves praise him. Again he doent respond give the same command (not any harder or louder) and back it up with a slightly stronger smack.

3) Its not that he is immune to pain he is immune to you. He has completely zoned you out. Its a respect thing. I would try to work with it and see how he gets but if you cant fix it, hire a trainer. He wont hate you for making him listen.

O just saw that he didnt act like this when you got him. Get a vet check to make sure it is not painful to do things and check your tack to be sure it fits. I once heard the saying "We will make sure he feels good, then we'll light his tail on fire" The are, of course, exaggerating but I liked the saying.

Answer 13

My horse didn't go for nothing, then I found out that he was trained with spurs...so maybe you need to use some spurs.

With the leading thing here is what I would do:

1.Get a crop

2.Didmounted, Stand in front of him. (but not directly in front of him....that is there blind spot.)

3.With the reins in left hand and the crop on the right.

4.Pull on the reins a little to the left, If he doesn't respond then JUST TAP him a couple of times.

5. Every time he make 3 steps then praise him.

6. Then Make him go back 3 steps.

7. Then repeat steps 4, 5, and 6.

About the turning to make him go is nonsense. He is being stuborn (Sounds a lot like my horse! lol). What I do is when my horse misbehaves I ask him to go and if he refuse him then get one rein and pull him around and around and around and around in TIGHT circles. Horses feel pain when they spin that tight. Then do the other rein for a while. Then whip the h**l out of him and Yell at him saying "Walk!!!". Horses also don't like loud noise. If he continues then maybe something is wrong with him... If not then you need to lunge him. This is a way to make him LISTEN to YOU. What my mom says is "If he doesn't listens to you on ground work, he will not listen to you when you are on the saddle."

Answer 14

Well, With horses there unfortunatly can be a number of things wrong.

Has he been to the vet lately? Maybe check his teeth, the bit could be causing him pain. And he might also have a back and or leg problem, Which could be the answer to why he doesnt want to move.

As for the round pen situation. I had that with my 4 year old QH. He was a pain to get in there. He assumed that every time he went in, he was gunna be worked.

My suggestion is that you take him in there a couple times, show him that not everytime he goes into there hes gunna be worked. Just have fun with him.

I definatly suggest getting him checked out. Once again my 4 year old didnt want to budge. Hes stocky so of course immune to pain. Get someone to try lunging him with you on him, Saddle and Bridle. Or even bareback. W/T/C which ever you choose.

Hope this helps.

Answer 15

He's probably barn sour. I ride a QH gelding too (though he's a bit older than yours, and he's not actually MINE) and he does the same thing. My trainer's been working with me to help him, and he's gotten a lot better.

1. It's not that he dislikes the bridle; it's that he's getting lazy and doesn't want to be ridden. Get a lunge whip, and if he doesn't walk forward, lightly lay it against his back legs. Don't beat him or anything, just touch him so he knows it's back there. If you need to, tap it lightly to encourage him forward.

2. Again, barn sour. He's decided he just doesn't want to work with you until you MAKE him.

3. Once again, he's barn sour. He probably balks and ignores you for ages before finally focusing. That's because he finally decides that you're going to make him work anyway, so he might as well get with the program. However, he's got to be in tune with you the moment he sees you. He needs to respect you as his lead horse in the herd.

I wouldn't 'send' him to a trainer- I find that often does more harm than good, because you don't know what exactly the trainer is doing to your horse- but find a trainer to work with both the horse AND you. Don't wait until the relationship with your horse is reduced to him always bossing you around, and there's no mutual respect.

Answer 16

Get a trainer and maybe think about using spurs i use them i just started last Saturday but if it is your horses first time then i would suggest the rounder spurs! I hope i helped

Good Luck!  :P

Answer 17

#1,  take him back to basics, your horse should learn to walk with you as you walk rather than you pulling a lead.  I would try to walk him in a head stall, and clic him forward rather than trying to pull.  then what you ask him to stop you should stop your self promptly so the horse sees you stop and has a chance to halt before you aply presure to the halter.  Then try it in the bridle.  If it is the horse being stubben and is delaying work then you could try to carry a dressage wip in your left hand, and when the horse dose nto respond to you clicking you can give them a tap with the end of your wip.

#2, Once you have establist moving forward when you lead him, one way to avoid arguments is to have someone help training with you on the ground.  have the helper ask himt o move foarward when you are sitting on him as you make the aid.  Also remember to start with a lite aid then get ferm when there is no responce.  

As for #3,  It is most important to have alot of self control when you ride and be aware of everything you are doing.  Once you mount your horse you are training him to work for you,  If you are slack (without realizing) in your riding then teh horse will become slack in its responce.  Make sure at all times your hands have a nice soft contact (unless you are working on a free rain).  Be aware of your legs, try to have them resting on his sides, and only use them when you are asking him to move foward or away from your leg.  Try to feel the paces are you ride, If you move with the walk, keep the rythem as you rise in trot, and control the canter with you movment in your body the hrose will tend to fall into it.  Sometimes riders sit to ridget in the saddle, and it can discurage the hrose to move foward.  Dont stress and have fun.

Good Luck,

Answer 18

Yes a trainer sounds like a good idea.  I wouldn't go to the round pen with you either if I knew I was going to get  beat..  Solving  your problems from someone on line  is almost impossible You need to try patience and. A nine year old horse is plenty old enough to listen to your commands so age isn't really a factor.   You might call a vet to come out and check out your horse and see if anything is causing him pain.  Teeth might need floated if he doesn't like the bridle and bit.