First, you need to get him perceiving you better as leader, him the follower. And here's where I would suggest applying horse whispering/natural horsemanship training techniques in a very clear step by step program, which you can learn more about in my DVD set, the Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System, and you can order that here: CLICK HERE

After watching the videos, and after learning and applying the methods, you, as the horse's primary teacher will have taught the horse:

• How to be bonded to you more deeply so that he trusts you to the max and he will be far more willing to do whatever you ask, even when he is in doubt;
• That you both have a "bonding place" (a "safety zone") to come back to always, from then on, if he's ever upset or afraid, on the ground (or later, in the saddle); we plant a one-rein stop in the foundation of every horse, on the ground first, so that in the saddle, it is automatic. This keeps you safer and the horse more rational, and feeling supported, bonded, connected more deeply emotionally to you.
• How to relax him when he is tense about something before he is called upon to react negatively.
• How to have him yield easily, in any direction when asked -- he'll learn how to yield properly to pressure to receive the release of pressure. All horses learn from the release of pressure what it is you want, not from the pressure itself;
• How to progress bonding to even deeper levels to the point of downright intimacy; makes a horse feel like he never had it so good being with his owner!
• How to move him from the rear, and him learning to do that rationally, which is so important to teach a horse to do before you ever ride them, and which you'll be using for a lot of other things like trailer loading, going in and out of a gate, into a stall, and so many other places/situations; this also teaches a horse that you are in charge of their feet.
• How to address effectively any fears (and his reactions to them) that you flush out in his behavior at any given time; my program focuses greatly on finding the fears before they find you and fixing them -- safely on the ground first! Even lay folks can do this. It's all about: safety. This then builds a far more rational, confident, happy horse, because, in essence, you have effectively raised his "fear/anxiety bar." And you will have taught him simultaneously in the process, how to turn to you for nurturance support when/if he is ever afraid or upset.
• How to do all this first on the ground, then later in the saddle, in that order.
• How to keep you safe and the horse safe at all times, throughout all of this --- always my biggest training focus.

This video set will help you to lay down an even stronger, more solid and trusting foundation under your horse there that will then serve you well, tremendously, actually, when you do step up into the saddle. By the time you complete the steps, you will have a transformed horse. The final steps are in the saddle and those exercises will more deeply plant into your horse's foundation the one-rein stop/the "safety zone," and more, that will turn him into a far, far more rational, trusting, happier -- and safer -- horse in saddle as well.

And you can do this yourself if you just back up and learn a few things yourself there. This video set will get you there the fastest with your horse, which is why I'm recommending this route. It's designed for anyone on any level, horse or human, to get professional trainer-like results.

And incidentally...my Whispering Way Complete Training Package contains all my videos and training tools that you need to train or retrain your horse yourself the natural horsemanship Whispering Way. You can check out/order the Whispering Way Complete Training Package on my web site here: CLICK HERE

I'm a very strong believer that every horse owner is their horse's primary teacher/trainer whether they realize it or not. Every time you are with your horse, he is learning something. You just want to make sure he's learning what you want him to learn, not what you don't want him to learn! Natural horsemanship training techniques are gentle, effective, and powerful. Works with every horse every time!

But it's real important to back up and break down all teaching steps in a way that you are releasing baby-gives, allowing the horse to feel the release for the right answers incrementally, so that they learn that's really what you want.

As for the second aspect I wanted to go into with you -- how to make your horse's life & job a little more interesting after you have backed him up and reschooled him as I've guided above -- the name of the game is: get creative! It's when the horse can easily predict what you are going to do or ask of him next, over and over again, that he starts to get bored and that's when rebellious behavior can set in. Break up your arena time with doing some repetitive stuff, and then some not-so-repetitive.

For example, (one of many you can come up with yourself, too): once in a while, have him pony another horse off of him as you ride your course there. Something about asking your riding horse to pony another that kicks them instantly into "pay attention/do the job" gear that works so well to get them focusing on your asks better. Amazingly. They seem to enjoy suddenly being put in the position of higher pecking order over another horse you are ponying beside them that builds confidence and interest in the job in them, instantly. Try it!

Also, play a little game with him in the arena where you "read his mind" about where he thinks you are going to go next there and instantly do the opposite. For example, you see him predicting, "we go left here, correct? Yawn!" But instead, instantly go right. Make a game of reading him well to see what he THINKS you are going to do next, but then do the opposite. Quickly he'll wake up and think, "hey...I'm not so good at predicting what she wants here after all; I'd better shut off my bored thoughts and listen more closely here so I can follow her directions better!" Works every time.

Also...maybe put obstacles up on barrels that you are going to ride by, pick up, and circle around and then go back & put back down onto the barrels. The horse will start to focus in on, "hey...we're doing a job here, time for teamwork!" Open & close gates with him. Whenever I get a horse who is "gate sour," for example, who focuses overly on the arena exit gate, I turn that lemon into lemonade. We go practice opening and closing that gate from saddle for a while! From inside & outside the arena. :-) He quickly forgets he wanted out of there in the first place. Horses like jobs to do, but they have to be interesting to them or they stop seeing the purpose of it. Especially the older, wiser, more intelligent horses who have "been there/done that."

In other words, don't just do repetitive stuff only, but engage his mind better every time you ride him there in the arena. Get creative! Even make lists while at home, brainstorming creatively, so you can come up with fun jobs (games!) you can play with him there once in a while, so that it's not filed in him as just all boring work, but also some fun stuff in there for him to do, as well. The more you engage the horse's mind with interesting jobs or games, the more he'll shut off being resistant and he'll listen better so he can function as a connected team/partnership. And...the more creative things you do with him, you up in saddle, the more he begins to perceive you as partners, just doing jobs together. The reschooling training program will get you better connected to him so that the games and jobs will seem easier and fun for him to do.

Check the sidebar on the left of this page for some great books you might get which will give you more ideas for creative, interesting things to do with your horse in the arena, in between his regular job you want him doing there

Try some of this. Stay creative! A horse whose mind is engaged is never bored!

One last link on my site that I think might help you there -- to learn a little more about natural horsemanship and prey animal psychology in general -- my "What is Natural Horsemanship" link here:

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/WhatIsNH.html

I hope all this helps, and let me know if I can be of any further help to you there. Good luck to ya! Stay safe! And thanks for writing.

  

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