# Horse stops dead when leading. Advice?



## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Carry a long whip with you and have it in your outside hand to her, when she stops use your voice to tell her to walk, if she doesn't remain facing forward drop the whip hand behind you and give her a crack across her hind end. 
Odds are as she is part Connemara she has a brain and will see the whip and not stop!


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## AmazinCaucasian (Dec 10, 2010)

pony her with a good solid horse with a roping saddle. always works


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Agreed with the whip idea.  Selena tests me like that. I had my trainer follow me and smack her on the butt everytime she leaned on the rope/stopped.


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## tbubak (Sep 25, 2011)

If im leading one of my horses out of the corral and he gets sticky feet and stops moving, Ill back him up with a lot of energy. It does two things, gets his feet moving and shows him that im in charge and i can move his feet when ever i want. If im leading them in from the pasture on an ATV and they get sticky feet, Ill stop lunge the horse with energy for about ten seconds then continue to the barn like nothing happened. If they do it again, Ill increase the energy and for a little longer. walking or trotting beside the four wheeler is a lot less work then hustling in a circle and changing directions. Im spoiled, I really dont have any problems with any of the three horses i ride a lot. I just dont let them get away with bad behavior. correct problems early and as often as needed before they grow into other problems.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

AC -- She is in the UK. There is probably not a roping saddle or a horse that will pull off the saddle-horn within a thousand miles or more. Roping is illegal there.

I would do some serious groundwork, particularly longeing, to teach her more respect for you on the ground. Do longing and other groundwork with a short whip working in close and a long whip on the longe-line. Then 'smooch' every time you ask for movement. Reinforce with the whip if you have to. 

Very soon, a smooch will mean to move her feet and when you are leading her, it will mean to move them forward. 

Lead her in from the pasture with a looong lead-rope (not a longe-line because they are too hard on your hands) and carry a whip with you. If she stalls out, wake her up and make her move forward for a few circles around you. Remember to go both ways - not just to the left where she passes you. That is not a good idea.


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## Sammyjoe (May 5, 2012)

Im having this problem amoungst others atm with a very newly broken young boy whose decided to start to test me! im defenatly thinking its a respect thing especialy since mine threatened to kick me today in the stable. 
Correct it at once, I second carrying a whip although as mentioned she may just be perfect while you have a whip. With my boy im having to correct this over and over but today as soon as I got an incline he was gonna stop I belted him with the end of the rope behind my back as I was moving forward and that stopped that!! Try not to look at her as you do it. 
Connemaras are lovely we had 9 when I was growing up my father used to buy them direct from ireland and they made FANTASTIC showjumpers. We still have two and they are 23. Lovely breed kind and gentle but they can be determined and like all horses they will test you if they can get away with it!! 
I think youll get through this with no problem and once you get the upper hand youll have no further issues. I know its hard but try not to get down heartened and start each day with a clean slate!


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Umm hello.. give her a good whack on her hiney and send her forward!

You asked for her to move on, she refused.. I would really make her regret that decision. 

Or if you don't like that approach, ask her to yield her shoulder to you and do a few spins on her hind end whilst on lead.

Or back up 10 yards.

Or do a mix of all three!

Had a mare do this to me.. a 4 year old Primadonna who decided to test me. I didn't stand for it. You let a horse push you around and make decisions, it's going to turn ugly very fast.


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## Prinella (Jul 12, 2011)

A good 12 ft lead is your friend.

Ask forwards swing rope towards belly whack belly/ hq with rope. Pony WILL move
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Another one that works for me, I usually have my horse behind me when I'm leading in from the field, just on a loose rope. If they stop and plant I take up the tension and pull, if that doesn't work then I move a few steps to the side and pull, they have to move their feet over and then they get a slack rope. Usually it only takes a few repeats before they get it and they give up and walk on in.

I started doing that with Big Bert, and now have done it with Big Ben, and it's worked on both of them.


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## abbyduke (Mar 23, 2012)

Usually just pulling them from one side to the other will get them moving. I had a gelding who did that, and it would literally take me half an hour to get him to a barn 50 ft away, but after about a week of just doing that, he learned that either way, he was going to the barn and just quit trying. If that doesn't work, tapping her on the belly/rear with a whip could motivate her enough to move. Good luck!


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## ggriffin924 (Feb 13, 2012)

I agree with the 12 foot lead rope is your friend. Don't hold your horse right up by his chin,,, give him at least a foot of slack in the rope, when they plant feet. I feel the lead line tighten which its normally lose when I'm walking with a horse. When that happens, swing around toward the horses butt with the free end of the lead line swinging, they will quickly figure out, a stop is not going to work. Getting the feet to move after a feet plant is a good thing. Being able to get their feet to move even if the wrong way is what I'm describing here. Once they are moving the feet it can be directed if you have enough line to play out or take back in. Which is why I don't really have much use for 6 foot lead lines ecept for tying my horse inside the trailer.

And having a 12 foot line lets them drift away or react to your pressure with still having plenty of rope to play with reaching the end of your rope, is like kind of well "Reaching the end of your rope".


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## EbonyandLizzy (Mar 10, 2012)

Thanks for all your help guys  I will try all these methods out:wink:


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

My broodmare does this, and only with me. LOL. Naturally, the first horse I broke to lead 11 years ago DOESN'T LEAD! Haha, she has my number and we both know it. All I have to do is look at her and look at all of my babies since her to see just how far I have come.

When I HAVE to get her by myself, I bring two things: a long rope and a short whip. If she stops, I don't hit her. A touch is all she needs. A touch on her hip or side, and she forgets about being stubborn. If that fails, my long rope turns into a butt rope and I treat her like a baby. My favorite way is to just have someone behind her to cluck her forward. 

Being a broodmare, I don't really care to spend the effort on teaching her again. I could, and know much more now than when I started, but I am fine with it. Plus she won't be going anywhere, so no one else has to deal with her nonsense. I can live with it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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