Horse stopping and refusing to move
I have a 5 year old WB/TB gelding who until turned 5, was one of the most easygoing & trainable horses I’ve had. When he turned 5 it’s like a switch flipped overnight & he became a terrible “teenager”, having tantrums when he didn’t get his way. For example, if he wanted to rush towards a jump (we do eventing) & I asked him to trot, he would just stop and walk backwards, kicking out/bucking when asked to go forward with leg/whip. Eventually I’d get him going forward and he’d comply. He actually seems to love jumping and cross country otherwise.
After working through this behaviour for the last 6 months, he’d really improved and I thought we were over the worst of his teenage shenanigans. We had a great event 2 weeks ago with lovely xc and stadium rounds, placing 6th, and a great jumping lesson last week. Then, this week during flatwork, he was trotting around fine and when asked to canter, refused and just completely stopped & refused to go forward. I was wearing small spurs & thought I was annoying him with them so took them off but he still kept stopping when I put my leg on to ask for trot. I didn’t have my whip & the only way I could get him moving again was by turning circles. Eventually I spotted a lunge whip by the side of the arena so used that. I managed to get him going and happily cantering on both reins so left it at that. He was fine the next day & happily did as asked.
This weekend we attended his third event held over 3 days. He tried stopping in dressage warm up once but I got him going easily by turning and then he was fine.
XC was beautiful (double clear) although after having walked through the start box several times, he decided that was enough and then stopped during 10sec countdown. I had to have my trainer lead him in, and then we were away no issues.
We were early to stadium warm up so walked around a lot. He was very forward & and feeling a bit playful which is normal for him when jumping. After letting him relax next to the arena for a while we set off to warmup and he just stopped and absolutely refused to move at all. Leg/whip/voice/turning did nothing. He completely ignored me. I had to get my trainer to lead him to get him moving. We thought he just didn’t want to leave the other horses but the behaviour continued in various places even when riding back towards them. He’d trot fine for a while and then stop when I asked him to change direction. Or he’d trot a few strides then abruptly stop. I had to have my trainer lead him into the arena for my round heading forwards other horses and he stopped halfway up the long side. I got him to canter about 2 strides then he stopped again. Nothing would make him move at all. He’d kick out/buck in frustration at the whip but otherwise he completely shut down and would not move at all. My trainer had to lead us out. We walked to where I thought a gate back to the barns were but had to turn around to go back to the arena. Then he promptly stopped and would not move at all. My trainer told me to get off and walk him back then lunge him which I did. It was incredibly frustrating and humiliating and I’m at a complete loss as to why he had started this behaviour.
Has anyone experienced this or have any advice? Any ideas as to why he would be doing this? Another trainer who does a lot of groundwork & deals with problem behaviours will be working with him, but my trainer said that there’s something he’s not liking about his job and we may need to have a difficult conversation. This is devastating for me as I brought him with me from Australia as my forever horse 😭
He has been scoped for ulcers and doesn’t have any. He’s on low starch feed & magnesium & I’d given him smart prep before stadium.
He’s a big solid horse at over 17hh so is still maturing and is a big baby.