# Horse decides not to react to leg or whip!?



## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Not advice, just request for clarification:

You didn't say what you usually do with her. Could it be burn-out? How much variety to you offer her in your riding with her? I'm not just talking about different exercises, but also different environments. I'm assuming that these problems don't occur on trail rides because you'd have mentioned your horse refusing to move on the farthest point of a trail ride...


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## Dressage Dreamer (Aug 11, 2017)

I usually ride her in an outside arena but I do take her out on trails rides often enough too. She gets out into a field she shares with 2 other hoses almost every day.there are 4 different riding arenas at our barn and I've ridden her in every one. Although now that you mention it it happens mostly in the inside arena..... she is a completely different horse on the trail almost gallops off every time I ask for a trot. I can't ride her outside every day though.....


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## ApuetsoT (Aug 22, 2014)

When she stops and roaches her back she is threatening you. And you back down every time.


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## 3Horses2DogsandaCat (Apr 19, 2016)

Just a simple suggestion, when she locks up like that and won't move forward, turn her head and use calf pressure on the same side you turn her head to get her moving. That usually makes it harder for them to lock up. Then you can get her going straight again. I've had to use that trick with some lazy horses.


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## SteadyOn (Mar 5, 2017)

Was about to reply with a variation of what was mentioned just above. If I can't get a horse to go forward, and I've forgotten my whip or it's not practical to use it, I'll pull one rein back and put them in a tight small circle. Do that a few times and try forward again. If they still refuse, repeat... try again... repeat... try again. Eventually they figure out that going straight forward is a lot less work and a lot less annoying. It can take a while though, so you have to be patient and persistent. If this horse is dead to the whip, this might be a good alternative.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I agree that horses can get arena sour if they do the same boring things every time. But at the same time, I expect my horses to do what I ask them to ... even if they are bored. So it's something to consider for the mental health of the horse (to maybe get her on the trails more) but also not to let her get away with this behavior. 

You have the right idea by asking nicely with your leg first and THEN giving the correction with the whip. However, if she's not flying forward from the whip .... you are not hitting her hard enough. Seriously. 

But I do say that with caution. Make sure you do not have any rein contact on her when you give her a solid whip. And it should only take one hit. If she is prone to freezing on you, make sure you don't get into a situation where she decides to rear in response.

Also always remember that after you have to give her the whip, let her lunge forward a few strides, gently bring her to a stop (or walk, or whatever you were doing) and then ask nicely again. If she doesn't do it nice, get her with the whip again. Keep repeating until you are able to get her to respond to a nice cue with your leg and then allow her to keep moving on.

When done correctly, you should not have to use the whip more than a few times. You should give her no more than 3 seconds (or less) to respond to your soft leg cue before giving the big correction.

This is also something to communicate to the owner, so she is aware of the what the mare is doing and what you plan to do to correct it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I ride a horse is sometimes like that. He will become very resentful and become MORE resistant if I use a whip ON him.

So, I have two other alternatives that I have used with , until he has become much more responsive now, such that he almost never 'tests' me anymore.

1. use the whip to smack your own leg, really loud. OR, use the whip to smack the pony's shoulder. I say this because some horses really deeply resent being hit on the flank or hip or hind. they would rather 'fight' than go if they are hit there. the sull up and get angry. you might be able to beat them into response, or . . . . try something different.

2. the shoulder. either using the whip to smack them there, or, what I like better . . . take the looped extra reins and whip them back and forth HARD and NOISILY on the whithers. do it suddenly, after you ask nicely with the leg, then WHAP WHAP! back and forth fast and loud on the whiters. this will often wake up a hrose that is getting ready to set themselves into a posture of resistence. they will often leap forward, and if she does, LET HER. give a nice long rein, reach down and pet her and thank her.


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## Kaiit (Mar 28, 2017)

I agree with everything that has been said already but just wanted to add - make sure you're not nagging with either the leg or whip. It can be easy to get into the habit of kick, kick, kick for every stride and I see it done often (without people even noticing they're doing it). All it does is teach the horse he doesn't have to listen to your ask. If you squeeze once and he doesn't react, you need to act and not let it pass.


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## redbarron1010 (Mar 11, 2017)

You just described my Ivan to a tee. he is such a good boy 90% of the time, but if I ask him to do something he is uncomfortable with, he balks, backs then turns in to a statue. I actually discovered this when i tried to take him out alone. He doesn't like this particular part of the trail and started it there. He has tried it in other areas now that he has figured it out. Even areas around the grounds that he was fine with before. I tried a bat crop to his shoulder, but he is a big sturdy draft cross and doesn't even flinch. Forget the "getting his feet to move in a circle" because I can pull his head around to both directions and he just locks up, mouth gaping open. He is dead to leg pressure when he gets like this. Normally if he is happy, he is super responsive to leg pressure, light on his feet. Oddly enough, I discovered yesterday when he locked up stubborn that he responded to me waving the bat crop in front of his face in a swishing motion, and he will turn his head and then move his feet. I then get him going. But this is a work in progress with him. As with your horse, he is forward moving and great on the trails with another horse. He is just opinionated and can get sulky and stubborn at times.


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## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

My mare tried this on a few times. I swatted her behind with a crop once and that was the end of that. However she is a sensitive soul, might not work for a different personality. I might suggest turning in a circle to unlock the front end, though.


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## demidog (Oct 2, 2017)

Some horses don't respond well to being smacked which is why she is planting her feet. You should look into other options such as a spur (start with something small and round) to maybe a dressage whip. A lot of people are surprised when their very lazy horse is suddenly willing to go forward with a dressage whip.

Something else could be your riding skill. I can't really assume anything but if you lack confidence you're probably pulling back on her mouth without realizing it. We are all guilty of this at some point whether we admit it or not. The other thing is that she could be over worked and doesn't want to work for you any more. Are you patting her every time she does what you've asked? Horses are generally eager to please and she could just be unsure of what you want.


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

Cherokee use to do this quite a lot. It sounds funny but I used a small prickly twig to tap him. He's very forward on the trail as well, but extremely lazy inside. He gets bored and resistant. I think it was the odd sensation that got his attention, because I never hit him very hard with it (probably would have broken lol).

Turning to the side produced the same reaction described above, he'd just turn his head and gape his mouth rather than turning his body. That got much better after we established respect.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

My first thing that you should check, because she usually starts out forward, is to make sure that you are not continuously putting pressure on with your legs. Eventually they will get dull to leg cues if you do that without realizing it.

I would think most likely that she is not a lazy horse as she lunges well and responds to voice. I would press gently with leg, if no response then some taps on the shoulder. 

My Star horse is like that, she really resents being smacked and will plant her feet in if you give her a good one on the rear. She is a very sensitive and responsive horse, it takes very little to move her in any direction. My Laela on the other hand will choose to just ignore me sometimes and a good crack on the butt gets her moving and it usually only takes once.


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