Private Lesson

What to do when he won’t go forward.

A usually compliant horse that suddenly decides he just can’t or won’t go forward. While it’s certainly frustrating, it can also be dangerous. A horse that sulls up, refusing to go forward, can instead decide to go up, rearing and compromising your safety. It’s important to determine the cause of his reluctance—poor tack fit, soreness somewhere in his body, or even something like mare behavior—but in the moment, you need to get your horse moving. I’ll tell you what not to do and then share tips for getting moving.