Judy, When I ride my horses on my property, they know where the paddock is. And there are a couple of them that will make a sudden "try" to see if I will let them go back. They never do this off on a trail ride we have hauled to. One of them does it in the same exact spot every time, like clockwork. I always just get ready cause I know its coming, as soon as we go around a certain tree, wheeee he zings around in a marmaduke move to head back and since I am ready for it he always has to go on. One thing that helped was I decided if it took all day I would get him around that tree without him doing it. It took about ten times and he finally went on, but as soon as I relaxed the next time he would give it a try.
mark rashid says "if you want calm and soft, don't give up til you have calm and soft". That being said, there is always the dreaded power struggle too, and sometimes it just turns into a game with them, and I agree with Renee that with some horses a total different approach such as clicker training is good. You dont even have to buy the book and a clicker, really. With my Fox I just started giving him a treat when he would be good a half second and he started focusing on me instead of how to escape me. Every horse is so different, some things work on some but not on others. But I feel like your horse is trying to see if he can get out of the ride by acting up, in the same spot every time. Is there any way to avoid this spot? reason I say, I have two horses that still act up a little at a certain spot even if a year goes by and they havent been there. There is in fact a trail in the wilderness area here that has a spot my friend calls "stonewalls spook spot" because it goes down to a little creek and a dense musky smelly bog and every time he used to whirl, but now just scoots forward. I think critters may nest in there, but things become habit with him. My horse fox is ok in the saddle but on the ground if I try to lead him outside our front gate he wants to whirl and drag me like a water skier. but clicker training stopped it. but at the gate he still starts blowing and making the marble in the nose sound and getting scared so I stop and pet him til he calms, give him a click and a treat and you can just see the tension drain out of him. Once outside the gate he is fine. ?? oh well, go figure :) Janice -- courage is being scared to death...and saddling up anyway--John Wayne
