Horse came in with a history of balking under saddle.
However, when evaluated it became obvious that he can’t even walk in-hand reliably (so we’re not even addressing the under saddle at this point because why would I). With a whip or flag behind the drive line he will go forward, but it is rather tiresome to be armed at all times because you never know when he’ll decide that he’s just done moving or going where you’d prefer he go. It’s not consistent, so it’s definitely not a “fear of something” issue, it’s a “nah, I don’t feel like doing it” issue. He’s not distressed when it happens. He just plants his feet and looks at you like “nope, not going”. I tried to wait him out once and he just…fell asleep. He does not pull back or back up. And since he’s a gumby, he can scratch his tail with his nose and not move his front feet, so just trying to “wiggle” him into moving doesn’t work.
I’m assuming at some point he will give this behavior up and we can progress but man, this is a tough one. So tell me your success stories…because I am going to need them