Ok, I have another question.
I love my horse, but he's started balking on me. I hate to bring out the whip.. is there a cure?
Answers:
Unless you are willing to discipline him, then just put him back in the pasture. Horses test the rider, if your not willing to push him through this, it only gets worse and your next questions will not be good ones.
What is he balking at? Obstacles, leaving the barn, transitions etc?
There are many reasons why horses seize up, but we need more information to answer.
Burn that whip! For starters, ride your horse somewhere fun. I'll bet you ride in circles -- an arena, right? Take his mind off balking! If you're both having fun, he'll forget all about balking.
Here's a sneaky trick that usually works on my horse and that is to use a whip with a big "clapper" on the end so it makes quite a lot of noise. Then I strike it on my boot.The noise is the key.
Mind you my horse tends to try to tell me when we should be going home so if you think he is just "trying it on" try that and see if it works
just like debi he will die soon and rogeroger medisan is not going to work and might be sad sorry but he said that
Muletrainer is right. As for as a whip? Used right, it works wonders! I said using it right, not abusing! Or just wait until you get hurt, waitng in the emergency room for ex rays, then tell me who's abusing who! I have a older 1/4 horse that tested me, once. Now all I have to do is take my hat off, and I have His attention! Still wouldnt sell him for nothing!
Lots of strong leg aids, and if necessary, a crop to back up what you are doing with your leg. That's the only way to solve this problem. Your horse is testing you, and if you don't deal with it now, you might as well stop riding for good, because this problem will only get worse in the long run. Horses need discipline, just like children, and they do not do well when their riders or trainers are too permissive and let them get away with bad or poor behavior. This DOES NOT MEAN that horses need to be beaten or abused, however. There is a big difference between correct discipline, which stops behavior that may lead to a horse or a person getting hurt, and abuse, which often causes horses to become mean and dangerous. Using a whip or crop correctly DOES NOT hurt a horse- it lets the animal know what you want and that you mean business when you ask the horse to do something. It teaches respect for you and your space, and helps to keep you safe around your horse. Balking or being stubborn, and refusing to listen, are all things that horses should be disciplined for and corrected for, but it should be done in a firm, calm, manner, without you getting angry or losing your temper. If your horse's actions upset you or make you mad, you need to get your feelings under control before you attempt to correct your horse. Even then, any punishment or corrective act needs to be quick and to the point, and then you need to change the subject and go on to something else. Don't keep coming back to the same old punishment again and again, or your horse will tune you out and start retaliating. Good luck, and I hope this helps.
I agree with everyone's answers on the correct use of the whip in this case, and to not back down and let the horse have his way. However, the person who got a bunch of bad votes also has a valid point. How is your horse's mental state and attitude towards work? When is the last time you did something different? Mix it up a bit - horses need to get out and do something else sometimes.
I have found that if my horse is balking under saddle, then putting my horse into aggressive circles then pushing him out of it in the direction I want to go seems to help. If he is balking on the ground then I will lounge him in circles in both directions assertively a couple of times then immediatley walk forward as if nothing has ever happened (but do NOT look at him while walking forward!). If that STILL doesn't work, then I push him backwards, and backwards, making sure he realizes that you ARE the leader here. Then I walk forward as if nothing has ever happened. I rarely use the crop on the ground but will while under saddle if the circling does not work. This has always worked well for me. Keep the feet moving even if it is not in the direction you originally wanted to go. Then as he does walk forward, release the pressure and praise him profusely.
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