Answer

By Your Horse

Rude, bargy behaviour is common and is generally learned through fear or ignorance. Either way, you don’t have to put up with it! A horse’s respect for his handler is paramount, and is the respect he’d feel for his herd leader. It can never be gained by pampering or punishment; only by your consistent and confident behaviour. A horse will watch your body language all the time – it’s how horses communicate and what keeps them alive in a natural environment.
I suggest you read all you can about ground handling and ideally, attend some natural horsemanship demonstrations and courses, which focus on achieving respect and communication with your horse.
In the meantime, try the hindquarter yield, which asks for a lateral bend in the horse’s body, at the same time asking his hind leg to move over:
1. Start at your horse’s shoulder and pick up a feel on the rope (use a rope halter and a strong, 12ft lunge line with a long training stick).
2. When your horse turns his head a little towards you, place your hand where your heel would be when riding and ask him to step away from you.
He should move the hindleg nearest to you across and under the belly.
3. If he shuffles away, leans on you or lacks bend, gradually increase the pressure. Swing the rope, even let it touch him on the ribs, until he gives that first step.
4. Often, bargy horses learn to lean into pressure, realising they’re stronger than us. So this exercise isn’t about great force, as we’re never going to be as strong as they are. However, we can be more persistent and by irritation, not pain, we can get results.
5. After a few sessions, your horse should learn to move away from you when you ask, back up and lead in a well-mannered way. You should notice less brace through his whole body, and a softer attitude towards you.
6. Look for a bend through the ribs when you work him in circles, first working on a small circle. Concentrate on the hind quarters and not the head, checking for yielding and bend at all times. This work will pay dividends in all your interaction with your horse. Not only will he become more polite in the stable, but by getting rid of the bracing and barging you’ll have a supple, willing riding horse.