The more work at home, less on the trail is one good thing to try, if you know your horse well and he's barn or buddy sour because he'd rather laze around the pasture than work on a ride but some horses are fine going out with others but are genuinely fearful to go out by themselves and leave a secure place or friend. I'm working with a horse now, who is 14 and has never been taken on a ride by herself. She had always followed another horse. The insecure ones need to have their confidence gradually built up (in themselves and in your leadership). Read the article Robyn sent. Take the horse out with friend horses, practice changing places, practice leading. When you take him out alone hand walk him. That's a good time to hide the treats on the trail like Judy mentioned. Clicker training works well too. I click and treat for one or two steps at first then gradually increase the number of steps required before they hear a click. If the horse balks, sometimes getting angry just makes them more fearful. With the really scared ones who balk, I just point them in the direction I want them to go. Force can cause a rear, spin or bolt. I prevent them from going in any other direction but I don't force them forward either. If they can't go any other direction, they'll often just start walking forward! I often walk out a ways, turn around before the usual end of the ride, go home a short distance, turn around go a little further, let them stop and graze, etc. Let them learn the trail but after the first few times keep them guessing. When you walk him a number of times and he seems confident, walk him out and ride him back.
Cherie Western North Carolina Lilja, Roka (Icelandics)and Tyra (Fjord)
