Difficult horse

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CPW

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In your opinion, if a horse is difficult at the beginning of a schooling session i.e., resistant, plants himself, not listening to your aids but after five mins or so completely snaps out of it and works really well - what would you say the reason is?

Is he testing the rider out, is there a pain issue or is it just an opinionated neddy?
 
It's been going on for quite some time. He did initially have a pain issue that had been going on for a long period hence why the behaviour started I think (didn't own him then) - although looking back maybe this behaviour was not related as when we sorted the pain issues he continued with the behaviour......

He does it with everyone, although will stop if your in a new place initially or something happens that distracts his attention.

It is like a light bulb switching on when he stops as he will go from being difficult to being a dream in a split second and then you rarely every look back....
 
If it stops after a short time, and you are sure he is not in pain and it is not putting you at risk, or ruining your enjoyment of riding him- does it really matter?! (I don't mean to be controversial or rude!)

I have found that bigger horses tend to be a bit stiff when working in. (This would be like you going for a run without stretching out first).
Could you do some ground stretches first with a carrot or polo to get him to stretch his top line right, left and down, and strech his legs when you pick out his feet. Just to give him a helping hand and help you enjoy him a bit more?
 
Hmm hard to tell without seeing it. I'd likely get everything checked over just in case. Is it a new problem or a new horse etc.?

I bought a 3yo who was backed and going fine walk/trot/canter in the videos. When I got him home, he refused to do ANYTHING without major napping. I believe he'd done too much before I got him and basically shut down. It took me literally a few months to get a canter out of him!! However, after that we gelled and he was a fantastic horse from then on!
 
If you're *sure* there isn't any still-present discomfort it could be stiffness, as mentioned, or remembered pain casuing him to stress until he realises schooling isn't going to hurt.

Share-horsey had some bad experiences being tacked up in the past and is frequently a pain to girth but will totally ignore you doing it if there are other distractions/you've done something else in the interim/he has a change of scene/something edible to try and 'steal'. For this reason I've found him much more calm when I girth up on a busier 'stressier' yard than quietly by myself! I also only have a lunge line through the loop rather than tying so he isn't 'trapped' in the scary situation. Could you try schooling (a little) outside of the arena to see if he is associating the location with something bad?

Mine also used to like to pop something (crop/rein/fence/my arm if I'm not quick enough!) in his mouth to chew when I was about to mount in the school. RI thought as he *only* did it then (and his teeth were fine but in the past he had a badly-fitting saddle) he was doing it to distract himself from anticipating pain. Sort of like us chewing fingernails etc when nervous. For that I try to sometimes go into the school mounted/sometimes leading and if getting on in there make sure I'm super-calm and don't give him too much time to worry while I faff.

If you try, say, mounting in a different place and going for a few minutes hack before schooling you might find you can start your schooling nicely. Alternatively could you lunge in tack before schooling so he doesn't have to cope with both tack and rider together when 'cold'?

If it is remembered pain causing stress changing your routine could help him learn that schooling isn't a Bad Thing.

Good luck!
 
Thank you for all your reponses, this really helps.

SharonH77 - there is part of me that thinks it is habit - although for sometime now I have done everything to try and make his experiences nice in the arena and yet there does not seem to be any improvement.

SuffolkMouse - I know what you mean, but I find it difficult to enjoy riding him when he does this, I can't help but feel that either he doesn't want to do it or there is something wrong.

Magic_Magpie - It's not a new horse neither a new problem. How did you deal with your horse napping so badly?

Tickles - He is always better outside of the arena, but then once it becomes routine he becomes more difficult, it doesn't improve if he is lunged or hacked first. I always walk him for at least 15 mins to warm him first and take things slowly.
 
I agree about doing some stretches before you get on board. Mine has hock spavins (big horse) and does get a bit stiff. He's better if I can either long rein for 15 mins or do some groundwork in Dually before I school. Long reining mine is a good way to get him stretching and working long and low, then when he's warmed up I do a bit of lateral work and maybe some poles on LRs with him then get on board after that. If I do groundwork then I work around poles, over poles, go around cones and so on. Cones are good for doing little circles and figures of 8 around - do them correctly and it really makes the horse step through with inside hind which is the best way to "unlock" my horse.

I'd recommend warming up from the ground first. The work I get out of my horse is 10x better if I do that than if I jump straight on.

He could be a bit stiff, which in itself isn't a problem as long as you warm them up properly and work them accordingly.
 
If your sure he isn't in any pain any more it is probably just a habit and unwilling to go forward. Is he generally lazy or ok once you get going? If I were you I wouldn't walk him for 15 mins first if he already isn't listening to you. If I were you I would go in and ask nicely for him to walk on only once or twice - if he ignores that don't bother working up to a stronger leg aid - give him a big kick (like a pony clubber) if he ignores that smack him straight away. You might end up cantering down the other end of the arena but he probably won't ignore your legs again.
 
Thanks Chestnut Cob and Randon_Rach.

I have tried doing the ground work first and then riding and he is not much better.

The problem I have (as I have tried), as if you get after him he properly throws in the towel and will throw all the toys out of the pram. I think because he has been bullied before he just won't take it. At the moment I am using the pressure technique so when he backs off or plants I keep nagging firmly until he does as he is told then I release and praise - anyone any other ideas, bearing in mind if I boot him or smack him he will loose the plot!
 
If the pain is sorted maybe he is being naughty. The cob DH rides learnt a little evasion due to a genuine medical issue, but since it has been sorted he has realised that he's got a nice little trick to get him out of doing things he doesn't want to and avoiding work.

It is obviously his little trick as he doesn't do it with everyone, has never done it with DH but the minute a new instructor or new rider comes a long you can see his little brain saying aha I'll try my special trick!
 
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