# My horse keeps backing up



## Juliad (Jun 20, 2013)

I have had my pony for a little over two years but last summer he started backing up when we would be leaving the group but then when the weather got colder he stopped and now the weather is warmer and he's doing it again but it's worse. He will do it when no one else is in the ring or even in the barn. He will do it when we pass the opening to the ring and then at random spots. When he will go forward he gives me a great trot or canter but then will literally just put on the brakes and start backing up then do mini crow hops/rears when he senses the whip moving behind him so he has made me scared to hit him behind my leg. I don't think it is all herd bound though. We are going to get him checked by a vet on Monday to check for any issues. I would just like to know your opinions mainly on why he would be doing this and what to do about it.


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## ligoleth (Sep 9, 2011)

If it isn't pain, then your first concern should be getting this horse moving forward. 
Don't tolerate his behavior, but don't let it slide either. 

I'd probably ground drive him and smack his butt (considering if you are a safe distance or to the side to avoid getting kicked) and keep smacking his butt until he moves forward. He takes so much as one step forward, stop, praise, and continue. Never reward bad behavior. Stopping is rewarding the bad behavior. 

Once the horse is moving proficiently at the ground willingly with no offers to back up, I'd attempt riding in a saddle. If he won't go forward by attempts of kicking him forward, or a crop, back him hard. Make him hustle those feet so fast he wishes that he had gone forward when you asked. 

And like with the ground driving, every willing step forward is a win for you, and a rest for the horse.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Ponies are smart and I suspect he's figured out what unnerves you.


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## Juliad (Jun 20, 2013)

He is easy to get going on the lunge and he has never backed up on it and I have tried hoping off when he starts doing it and smacking him but it doesn't work...I will definitely try the backing up really fast though!


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## ligoleth (Sep 9, 2011)

If you get off when he acts up, that is a win for the horse. If you can, ride out the crow hops instead of getting off.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Horse is running this show. 

Can just try sitting him out, depends on if he is backing into ditch, or just backing.

Can also turn him so he is backing the way you want to go.


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## elbandita (Sep 13, 2013)

Another alternative is to do backing exercises after he's backed up. reverse psychology works well on dissolute ponys lol.
moreover when the behavior takes place give him more exercise.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

yeah, pony knows he'll get out of work by this. he's smart.

if you do not feel confident with the crowhops, back him in a circle, a lot.

I suspect that he will not actually buck as much as you think if you get after him the second he starts to back. once a hrose has really committed to some kind of resistance, it is harder to change their mind. but , if you catch them instant they start with this kind of thinking, you can often get them to let go of it easily.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

This kind of behavior is called 'stalling out'. It is a complete lack of forward impulsion. It always escalates. Rearing and worse will surely follow. Pretty soon, he will refuse to do anything for you under saddle. Horses seem to be able to sort out the difference between ground work and riding quite well. All of the ground work in the world will not keep him going forward. 

The only exception to this is ground driving. When you are behind a horse and making him go forward ahead of you, it will help with work under saddle if you follow up with aggressive riding.

At some point, you need to be able to get after him seriously enough get his respect under saddle. You can get someone else to do it the first time or two, but at some time you are going to have to ride him forcefully forward.

The way I have always preferred to make a horse like this ride forward is to ride with a long pair harness leather reins. I will take them and and when a horse stalls out, I use them in an 'over and under' fashion and spank the horse hard with them. I will get after one hard like this and it usually only takes one time. The last thing you want to do is threaten or barely tap a horse. I call that 'pecking' on a horse and it always evokes a much worse reaction. The horse bucks, kick up, and just gets mad and more resolved to NOT go forward. It is worse to peck on one than to do nothing at all. 

I am afraid if you want to salvage this relationship with this horse, you are going to have to elicit the respect from him for him to know YOU are the one in charge.

I do not consider backing one up that has refused to go forward to be a good solution. I have seen horses back up in the wrong place and all they have to do is step in a hole or hang a back foot up on something and they will roll up-side-down on a rider. Good forward impulsion is absolutely necessary to have any kind of good riding relationship with any horse. You do not develop forward impulsion by going backwards.


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## elbandita (Sep 13, 2013)

As an experiment and to satisfy my own desire to know when my pony would balk and back up I was quickly fed up with the behavior so I continuously kicked him to see what the outcome would be. Inherently I was prompting a quicker action to transpire. I stayed persistent and eventually he stopped and transition to forward movement. That's how you nag an equine to abide by your order. lol


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## Bondre (Jun 14, 2013)

I haven't got any advice for you (except to listen to Cherie's great advice) but want to offer my sympathies. A pony backing up on you can be very unnerving. 

I am currently working on my 14hh 6yo that has suddenly developed acute barn-sour problems. The last time I rode her, when she decided it was time to quit she went sideways and backwards to the yard gate. I was totally incapable of getting her out of that gate area, mounted. I got after her in every way I could imagine but she stuck to the gate like a limpet and was on the verge of exploding, so I cut my losses and lunged her hard at the gate as a small face-saver. Darned ponies! :-*

Now I'm working on lunging and groundwork, getting her to listen to me better, as a prelude to the ground-driving. I don't want to get back on again until I feel confident of being able to win from the saddle. A second failure at the yard gate would be very bad news.

The more times you have to get off your pony to make him move forward, the stronger his resistance will become.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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