A “good” horse gone “bad”?

Having always been obedient, sweet and generous, Orion quickly became my favorite horse to train. Any mistakes he made were honest (e.g. bird-in-the-bushes spooks) ... until recently.

The work had been getting harder: I’m requiring more engagement of the hindquarters, more strength, and more stamina. So lately I notice he’s been pouting, and finding “excuses”. Yesterday he actually ignored me (gasp!) when I asked for a trot. When I insisted, he gave me a half-hearted but defiant buck before complying. And he gave me that “look”.

What happened to my Perfect Boy? The answer is, he WAS the perfect boy. I never reprimanded him because I never needed to. He loved everything he did, so I never had to force an issue. In other words, I had neglected to teach him to accept and constructively address the “unpleasant” things in training.

My mare Chipper didn’t hesitate to test the boundaries the first time I rode her. She’s a brat, but as a result, she knows my rules inside out, and she is now fun to ride. She will always be an opinionated horse, but I enjoy working with her because of her confidence in the rules, and that I, too, will follow them.

So, what to do with Orion? Push on. Teach him how to accept and actually make the unpleasant tasks work in his favor. Show him that, while the schooling exercises may be boring and hard, he will have successes. And as he gets stronger, they will become easier. He’s still my Perfect Boy, and I’ll show him how to stay that way.