Tune Up a Trail-Balker

A wild storm blows in but clears up quickly. You decide to saddle up for a relaxing trail ride with your buddies. You all ride willing, well-trained trail horses. You fall into a lively conversation as you lead your friends down the trail. You hardly notice when your horse decides to walk around a puddle, rather than go through it. The other horses follow suit.

You continue along the trail, still talking with your trail buddies. You approach a small fallen log blown across the trail by the storm. Your horse knows this trail but the fallen log is new to him. You gather the reins and ask him to step across it. Instead, he turns away, tosses his head, and fights your rein pressure. You fight to keep him moving forward, pointed toward the log. Your ride has gone from relaxing to stressful for the whole group. What happened to your usually willing trail partner?

Here, I’ll first help you understand how “holes” (such as this seemingly sudden disobedience) can develop in your horse’s training. Then I’ll explain how to avoid creating these holes by being consistent, being aware, and giving