All I’m in the west Atlanta area and have a 5 year old Hanovarian I just bought. He was fine for a while, but now refuses to move. I don’t mean won’t go forward, I mean won’t go at all. I want to take him to someone who can do some groundwork to get some respect, but also someone to get him going again under saddle. Any recommendations? I have checked everything on earth health wise and saddle fit, etc. this boy is just stubborn and lacks any respect for me. Help!
[QUOTE=pjtaylor;8918894]
I have checked everything on earth health wise and saddle fit, etc. this boy is just stubborn and lacks any respect for me. Help![/QUOTE]
Sounds like maybe he’s just chosen what he thinks is his safest option? Sometimes when they get confused they just stop, which is often better than some of the other choices they could make.
Have you tried just gently flexing him laterally, the way you would if you were leading him and he locked up?
Does horse long line or know voice commands ( walk,trot, whoa)? Need to go back to basics. Have someone lead you a few steps or ride with a buddy. Can you get someone to pony your horse?
A swat with the whip usually works well.
[QUOTE=kande04;8919020]
Sounds like maybe he’s just chosen what he thinks is his safest option? Sometimes when they get confused they just stop, which is often better than some of the other choices they could make.
Have you tried just gently flexing him laterally, the way you would if you were leading him and he locked up?[/QUOTE]
Yep.
Horses do NOT just decide they don’t want to move and stop to be stubborn/obnoxious without reason.
I went through this with my mare when she was 5. I was inadvertently riding her as uphill as my gelding. However, he was 13 and built uphill to start with, and obviously more advanced. So she was trying to sit as much as my body was telling her, and didn’t have the strength to actually move while sitting that much. My fault, and I don’t believe in punishing a horse for my mistakes - so I’d figure out WHY it’s happening first.
My mare’s overall default reaction to stress is to halt. I actually really appreciate that. It means we can’t ride through a test if she’s stressed so it’s not so good at a show, but since I have a stress bucker… I really appreciate how safe just halting is. 
It is part of what horses do sometimes. He is five years old and should be past that but you have only just got him and need to think about where he came from and how he was treated.
It is not a time to get after him. He will get past it, but perhaps you need to get some help.
I don’t think of horses as stubborn and it is not lack or respect - he may be nervous, he may have pain issues, he may not get you and your methods and may be confused.
I had a track mare who just jammed on brakes and would not budge. We just sat her out, tried to get her feet to move in any direction and she gradually got to love her work.
Take the time to understand him and he to understand you.
.I have checked everything on earth health wise
How do you define “everything”?
It is quite common for young horses to test. To go from fine to shut down? Sounds medical to me.
A good horse doesn’t just wake up one day and say “Hey, I think I’ll be a jerk today” There’s always a reason when a good horse suddenly stops being a good horse. Be happy that he’s decided to just stop and stand still rather than rear or buck.
Definitely get some training help but I wouldn’t rule out saddle fit, foot pain or medical issues.
I would vote confusion and/or lack of confidence. Get some good help
I definitely had this issue with my guy when he was around that age. It occurred when we were stuck in the indoor arena for the winter and I think I was not riding in a way to really encourage forward. I think I was expecting a solid contact, and I really needed much more give and play in the contact. Also, don’t focus at all on being “on the bit” during this phase. Just reward any forward. I would advise you to find a reputable dressage trainer in the area with a specialty in young horses and let that trainer do most of the riding for a couple months. I don’t know where High Valley Hanoverians is located in relation to you, but I think they are in Georgia and it looks like they have a nice program for bringing along youngsters. I don’t have any personal experience with them; I just drool over their horses online.
Good luck!
[QUOTE=netg;8919110]
Yep.
Horses do NOT just decide they don’t want to move and stop to be stubborn/obnoxious without reason.
I went through this with my mare when she was 5. I was inadvertently riding her as uphill as my gelding. However, he was 13 and built uphill to start with, and obviously more advanced. So she was trying to sit as much as my body was telling her, and didn’t have the strength to actually move while sitting that much. My fault, and I don’t believe in punishing a horse for my mistakes - so I’d figure out WHY it’s happening first.
My mare’s overall default reaction to stress is to halt. I actually really appreciate that. It means we can’t ride through a test if she’s stressed so it’s not so good at a show, but since I have a stress bucker… I really appreciate how safe just halting is. :)[/QUOTE]
My mare is also like this. I was pushing her past her comfort and balance level in our early arena work, possibly also making her sore, and started up the Balk Monster, which has taken a lot of patience and kindness to undo. And it has stayed her go-to resistance. Better than bucking or rearing, but hard to work with!
If it has got to this point, a whip, spurs, maybe even flexions, won’t work. Ground work is useful if you are using it to start right over, get the horse to move forward off the voice command, etc. Not so useful if you are just using it to “show respect.” Also riding outside of the arena, and riding in company with another horse on the trails, is very useful. Get the horse used to going forward with no demands. Get out of the arena, where he developed this resistance.
And get yourself some lessons or a good trainer. Something in your riding is not matching up with what this horse needs to feel safe, comfortable, and sure about what he is meant to do next.
I have seen more than one youngster do this. One thing you can try, if he longes well and you have someone who knows how to longe a horse properly to help you, is to put him on the longe with you on his back. The familiarity of being the longe can help him feel more confident moving forward.
Please read netg’s response, and be sure you have not pushed him too fast. I’m not saying you have, but his reaponse might be an indication of overload. Sometimes, though, it’s just greenie silliness and they get over it fairly quickly.
I sent you a PM.
My last mare did this as a youngster, but she was definitely testing her boundaries. She always tested as she was Alpha with a capital A! She worked out of it and never did it past that point in her training. So, I disagree that something has to be wrong. Many times it is, and sometimes it isn’t. I had good professional help throughout her training, and it was confirmed by them that this was the case.
You are in a great area for trainers.
In my opinion Anke Boersma is without a shadow of a doubt the most talented trainer for a confused or resistant young horse. She breaks things down to go, stop, left, and right in a way that is incredibly clear and fair. She can also stick out a lot of baby sillies. Her waiting list is usually years long but she might have a go to person she recommends when she doesn’t have openings or has space for trailer ins.
Gigi Nutter, Karen Lipp, Adam and Roel, etc. could also be great resources. I don’t know whether they work through problem behaviors in house or prefer to send out to a specific person.
In my experience trainers are often more than happy to share their recommendations if a horse is not a good fit for their program. Best of luck!
It’s always a good idea to rule out medical issues first. But this sounds really similar to what a horse in my barn started doing after he had a few different riders on him. He learned that if he planted his feet and refused to move then he could avoid going forward into the contact, and some riders would through the reins back to him in an effort to finally get him to go forward. He went back into bootcamp with the trainer and she convinced him that in fact he could go forward and be round at the same time.
Perhaps it is also just a training phase for your horse?
[QUOTE=SugarRush;8919100]
A swat with the whip usually works well.[/QUOTE]
yeeeah you clearly haven’t started any that fly into reverse, rear or say @$%# you when swatted. Which just so you know an awful lot WILL. Depends on how much experience they’ve had to know what a swat means.
OP is best off:
1.) on the ground, in hand WHOA and Go. Make sure you have a whoa stop, and a walk on GO.
2.) whoa and go on the lunge if you got it in hand with a lead.
3.) I like to add step GEE(right) and step HAW(left). Teamsters use this, horses seem to learn the distinctly different sound quite easily. Very very handy que. Step Gee w a tap on the side to move sideways RIGHT. Step haw with a tap on the side to step LEFT. Brilliant when you have a 17h arse in the way with a overloaded wheelbarrow to pass with as well.
4.) lunge line walk/whoa halt, walk trot walk, trot canter trot, waalk canter walk, halt trot halt, halt canter halt. (these are in order of difficulty—several months to halt canter halt) Use the ords, whoa, walk, trot, canter so they know the word too.
5.) Mounted: say “walk on”, heels calves press gently but firmly ( do not kick!) your bum rolls under you slightly, your elbows open so your hands release forward s—AND you have a ground person LEAD THE HORSE FORWARD. Praise lavishly with voice “yess!good boy!” Pat on the neck. Walk half the arena and say whoa halt, have your ground person halt them while you engage w a half halt seat
, your legs come on gently firmly butt rolls under you slightly and you hold there and exhale WHOA. Stay off the god damn moth and don’t pull or spin or one rein stop—let the ground person halt the horse. Praise, relax, pat, the WALK On again.
This is how you start a horse. They come to clearly understand what you are asking for—and you teach it to them from light aids.
a whole lot of wash rinse repeat—and praise when it’s done/understood. Praise can just be your voice—your tone of voice will convey a lot, so be encouraging.
So many medical issues manifest as behavior issues. It may be worth discussing the symptoms of Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM 2) with your vet. The most common symptom of this condition found in most breeds is an unwillingness to move forward. The Univ of MN has done extensive research on this condition and are very helpful resource. PSSM Type 1, which has been linked to two specific genetic mutations that can be tested for, and PSSM Type 2, which is diagnosed by a muscle biopsy.
