# Horse Stops and Won't Move



## showhorses11 (Aug 3, 2012)

Hi for the past few months off and on my horse has been stopping abruptly when asked to move forward. After he comes to a halt when asked to move forward he will either not move at all and sometimes try to bite my foot, or back up. He did this on and off and then he recently has had 5 weeks off and after being brought back in to work he still is stopping suddenly. He mainly stops when asked to lope on his right lead and almost always picks up the incorrect lead on this side if he does not stop abruptly. Always with his ears back. (Since I have had him he always has never wanted to pick up the correct lead tracking right.) When tracking towards the left he is fine. I feel like I have tried everything and am not getting anywhere. He will sometimes ride great and other times he stops and refuses to move. I am the only person who rides him. He sometimes stops and refuses to move at shows also.


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Howdy and welcome to the forum .

My best guess would be that there is some kind of pain issue that is preventing him from being comfortable doing what you are asking. 

Are you 100% certain that your saddle fits him? 

Have you ever had him checked out by a chiro? 

When's the last time his teeth were done (though I lean more toward it being a different problem)? 

Have you had him checked for ulcers? 

What is his living situation like, is he kept stalled or does he have access to turnout...and how much turnout per day? 

What is he being fed?

After you've ruled out all of that, then you can start facing it like it is a training issue.


----------



## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Just an add-on to what Smrobs said - the saddle could have fit before, but that doesn't necessarily mean it still fits now. When a horse's weight fluctuates it doesn't always fit comfortably. Even if they're eating all the same things every day their weight still changes a bit throughout the seasons. So even if it fit before you should have it checked again. If you can't afford a saddle fitter (I know I can't) you can learn a bit about it yourself - here's a great post about it: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-tack-equipment/question-does-your-saddle-reeaaalllly-fit-58116/


----------



## Horsnaround64 (Dec 31, 2011)

Check the saddle. But I would turn his head and try to take a step when he freezes. Just to get forward motion. Circle and try to walkout straight from that or trot out. I would not canter him that way till you can keep him going at a walk or a trot. Then try the lope or canter.


----------



## GhostwindAppaloosa (Jun 3, 2011)

like said before.. look at the other possible causes first than treat it like a training issue. I have a terrible mannered mare in right now for training. she was green trained by a green person. SHe does whatever the hell she wants basically. she had this same issue of just stopping when she felt like it and no matter what the owner did she wouldnt move forward. (just being a PITA..) and if she annoyed the mare enough with kicking etc.. she would than start bucking and rearing to try to get her off. Needless to say it took me several weeks of riding to get her out of THAT fiasco.. NOW she is trying to move onto other tactics to avoid being ridden. *sigh*.. i love getting willing horses in for training. these stubborn ones really try my patience


----------



## ropinbiker (Aug 3, 2012)

Does the horse lunge to the right(with the saddle on) in the correct lead willingly without any indications of pain? If not, then he is hurting somewhere. If so, then it could be other equipment or just his "issue". 

If he doesn't seem to be hurting I would work him in a figure 8 pattern at a trot...and nothing more for a day or two. Then I would bring him up to a canter on the left turn, but leave him at a trot on the right turn for about 5 or 6 patterns. On the next pattern, after the left turn and while i was still going straight i would ask for the canter in a right lead. I would work on this until he willingly goes into the correct lead prior to the turn and keeps it through the turn. 

If he stalls when I ask him for the right lead, then i would quickly pull his nose to the right while pushing his hip to the left in as quick of a spin/circle as I could make him do...and after that I would trot/canter out of that "spin" and into the right lead. I would keep doing this until he started picking up the correct(right) lead willingly.


----------



## HorseCrazyTeen (Jul 29, 2012)

I once had the same problem with my mare. She would first usually try all sorts of avoidance tactics when she really didn't want to do something, but as a last resort she would just stop stock still in her tracks and wouldn't budge an inch. It was like she was nailed to the ground! So I just took her nose to my foot (and since he tries to bite your foot you'll have to hold it back), and keep it there and give him every encouragement to move EXCEPT his nose. And eventually he must move; he just won't have a choice.

Recently I had to make Brandy stand like that for 5 full minutes. She even started swaying from the effort of having her head like that, but would not move her feet. Finally though, she moved and got an immediate release. She completely gave up and then did what we had been asking her to do for the last half hour perfectly! So I got off right then, to end the lesson on a positive, correct note. You can do the same thing when your horse tries to back or whatever. Horses don't like going in teeny, tiny circles. It is much better to do this kind of lesson for shorter times every day than for a very long time once or twice a week. It might be a good idea to get a horse trainer on him a few times, if that's possible.

Now this is assuming he isn't in pain and that his saddle fits, but if he had just had that long of a break, and will do well on one lead and not the other, then it is most likely a training issue. Just takes time... and sometimes, LOTS of time! But hey, that's what we like to have most with our horses, right? TIME!


----------



## showhorses11 (Aug 3, 2012)

Thanks everyone for your advice I will definitely try some things that were mentioned. I really appreciate everyone's help!


----------

