What if you were to hack out a bit, turn around and convince him to go home but then once you got home you changed your mind and left again, many days in a row? Basically, changing the routine so that just because you are heading home it doesn’t mean the adventure is over. Especially if it were possible to simply hack through the farm and leave again, out of a different gate.
I have a horse who was the normal kind of nappy at first. He would only head away from the barn so far until he got out of his comfort zone and he’d put on the breaks. Any time I headed back to the farm with him I’d work him in the arena for 20 or 30 min before putting him away. He now leaves without hesitation but then he became a little like your horse. He’d hack away but would slam on the breaks when time to go home. So, I’ve started to hack away and then back through and away again. He’s pretty much gotten the idea now to just play along 
by way of an update:
we hacked sun eve but couldn’t get on the grass tracks as the farmers were out in force combining and bringing the crops in, in a convoy of HUGE machines and massive trailers…and as good as he is with traffic, i though that was asking for problems and not going to do anyone any favours…so we stuck to (quiet) roads (they were also creating the biggest dust cloud ive ever seen !!)
set off perfectly, swinging along ears pricked leading the way happily. Once we got on the quietest road we did a few 180 and each time he did stop BUT it was sub 20 secs of shoulder stingers before he walked on (to much praise and scritchies). I had him nicely up to the bridle and in SF positioning on each turn and that made it easier for sure than just swinging round a U turn!!!
the 2 times he was most determined NOT to go were taking an actual left had fork in the road(towards home) but even that wasn’t too bad, just a few seconds more, but when we actually reached the yard gate, he took 2 steps through it then reversed back out and actually reversed several meters back down the road… twice he walked forward and then did the exact same thing but on the 3rd attempt he walked through… he got loads of rubs and scritchies and mints upon entering the yard, then a sponge down and tea, so hopefully some of the nice things will be remembered (albeit that is pretty much always the routine, i treat mine whenever i get home and its always home to either paddock time or tea!)
so the suggestion to go in the gate then back out again might be a good one(sadly only have one route on/off property).
i also feel that the path of least aggression/force is best also so will give his buddy some mints to carry too!
he had been out in the field for 11 hours (6am-5pm) prior to our ride, and hasnt been in my arena since last tues! we went to my trainers yard for a lesson on sat, where he spent half his time bobbing loosely along the canter track just allowed to go forward and then the rest doing easy figures and transitions-ie not being pushed beyond his capabilities.
he is super relaxed in his stable so i dont think its a case of not wanting to go back inside either.
he is also very good with the general stuff you meet out hacking, ie some idiot overtook us at about 60mph on a narrow ish road and he didnt so much as flinch, 4 motorbikes=not a problem, grizzled old farm dog shot up to him and sniffed round his back legs and he just walked on calmly, he will wait at junctions etc to let people go. so he is a good,listening chap 99% of the time!
he is schooling tues, then hacking again with his buddy on thur AM so i will report back again then!
thank you for all the ideas, he really is so good in so many ways and i feel like this is a little test of brains not brawn!
quick update.
he kind of escalated things this AM as he did not want to walk on away from the mounting block and then turn a half circle in the open space to walk back to the drive, he wanted to spin round and dive back to the drive and when i said nope, he said NOPE.
so we had reversing under the barn overhang, reversing in to the wash bay, reversing in to the wheelbarrows, and reversing in to a wall.
through all of this i kept up sharply slapping his neck, stopping as soon as he paused and all of a sudden he hopped forward, deflated like a balloon and walked meekly all over the yard.
we did a lot of 180 and 360 out on the grass tracks and he did not even think about stopping.
one moment coming back off the grass on to the road when he stopped (despite my best leg to hand SI) BUT as soon as i slapped him, off he went,straight up the road and through the gate without a pause.
so i feel like he upped the ante and lost today, and that its started to settle in his mind that rider navigates, no discussions.
(i fussed and loved him a TON when he went forward both times and he is out in the field grazing quietly now)
hopefully that was a last attempt to see if he could out stubborn me!
Oh goof! 
what a silly boy. :yes:
Glad that you are sorting it out.
As an aside, I re-watched your plaiting video and love you accent. You need to do more videos!
He’s burning out. Too much work for a baby brain. Cut back to 3x per week no more than 30 minutes each.
Countless babies are mentally and physically ruined by too much work in their 3-5 year old days.
It sounds like you’ve got a case of the 4 y.o.'s :lol: They love to test at that age - they’re physically getting stronger/more fit and they develop a lot self confidence. I’d imagine doubly so with a stallion. I think you’re on the right track with calm, confident, and consistent correction. It may take a bit for him to knock it off completely but you sound like a lovely and skilled rider so I’m sure it won’t become a long term problem. I went through some 4 y.o. behavior with mine and there were days I didn’t think we’d ever get it resolved but in the end it just took a little consistency to convince him it wasn’t worth the effort. He’s now 5 and his little bratty evasion has all but disappeared.
Oh, the 4 year olds.
I had one that decided he no longer wanted to turn left. Looking back, I probably did push his work more than I should have, even though it was only 3-4 days a week of a little w-t-c. Everything just came so easily to him, so I took him to a clinic in place of my other horse who was injured. With just a little bit of pressure of a new environment and new exercises, the evasion popped up.
We worked through it, took it back to the very basics for a few months. By the spring of his 5 year old year, he went out at Training level and was in the mid 70s, just a solid citizen.
So, no advice for your situation really, just that it’ll take time, and maybe some revisiting of basics now and again. And never put yourself in a situation to lose. Make sure you have a bucking strap, maybe mount in an arena with someone available to lead forward if necessary. Last thing you want is to wipeout on the drive or over a wheelbarrow.
Dressagelvr-he only does 2 x 30min in the school and then 2 x walk hacks(with 1 or 2 short trots or canters). I really doubt he is burning out as he NEVER says no to work in the arena. I just dont see how baulking about coming home is a sign of burn out? if i let him keep going 3 hours he would do so with swagger and pricked ears and STILL nap when i turned round i think?
i plan to get on today in the same place and ride just in my fields in walk for 15mins anyway as that was always todays plan, and will report back if he remembers thur lessons…he will 100% go if someone leads him etc and is foot perfect in the school so i feel like i NEED to tackle being able to get on in the yard and walk off in MY direction or it could quickly progress?
[QUOTE=Dressagelvr;8793946]
He’s burning out. Too much work for a baby brain. Cut back to 3x per week no more than 30 minutes each.
Countless babies are mentally and physically ruined by too much work in their 3-5 year old days.[/QUOTE]
have you seen him go? he’s not burned out. really.
they do a lovely job and the OP is an excellent trainer and rider. they brought along the TB gelding very successfully, as well as the OP’s prior horse which was (I think?) FEI level.
He’s a 4 yo old warmblood stalllon. he is just going through a phase. He always looks very happy to me…???
Oh, the testing phase. Mine is still doing it at 6. Actually, it’s way worse now because he tests just about everything I ask for even if we are going to do something fun and not at all work related that he loves (like go out for a hand graze). He was pretty good at 4 and things have been going downhill ever since. Take each day as it comes. Even though he pushed you and lost this time doesn’t mean he might not test again just to see if he might win next time. And other days he will be less sassy. Just keep consistent with what you are doing because it sounds like it’s working. One day, they’ll grow up, right?
Thanks for the support
Tonight i got on at the block in the yard (with the intention of walking round the closest field on a long rein) but mr explorer wants to go to the exit gate (hacking) of course and NOT towards the field as that’s also toward his stable.
The good news is that we had the briefest (sub 10 seconds) discussion (him sloooowly backing up and me whacking his shoulder) and then he deflated and plodded to the field…lots of praise and love and a grass snack and then rode back out the field all the way to the exit gate and asked him to turn…had about 3/4 seconds of “nope” then off he marched to the field,more love and more snacks.
Repeated that twice more with ZERO pausing from him,just a “yes mum we go your way”.
So left it there,13 minutes in total and a good result.
My sister actually bought her gelding across the yard and in to the arena whilst we worked on this and my chap never so much as flicked an ear at him,I deffo had his full attention and concentration
And just as an example of what a genuinely lovely dude he is…when the vet came to vaccinate him,he did so loose in the field with a rope round his neck,laughing at me squishing his nose and pulling his ears…LOVE him!
you’ve done super well with him, and of course fig It’s nice to hear your “real world” stories. Glad you are on track.
And what are the latest colors for fall? LOL. Thanks to you all I have more saddle pads and polos than I can use!
. Dressagelvr-he only does 2 x 30min in the school and then 2 x walk hacks(with 1 or 2 short trots or canters). I really doubt he is burning out as he NEVER says no to work in the arena. I just dont see how baulking about coming home is a sign of burn out? if i let him keep going 3 hours he would do so with swagger and pricked ears and STILL nap when i turned round i think?
Of course 4 is a testing age, as I said in my first post. The ring work isn’t what I’m talking about being too much. It is the 1.5 hour hacks. Even just walking, that is too long a period of time for a horse that young to carry weight. It is a matter of physiology.
