I think there is an invisible line at the end

Of our property line, it seems to really scare my horse.

I've been working with him a lot, he is awesome riding in the pen-very soft and responds to the smallest movement of the reins, and at lessons (the trainer loves him and thinks I could "do anything I want with him"--ugh), but he is buddy sour and barn sour. (when we trailer out somewhere he is mostly fine, but walking off the farm...)

I'm beat, I took him out with the intention of riding til dark if I have to only ending on MY terms. We got down the road a bit, he dead stopped at our line. I nudged him, he shakes his head, turns around, I turn him in circles (if I pull back to stop him when he is headed toward home he bucks some-so I prefer circles). We go into neighbors field and ride forever until he is very responsive (this is not in the direction of home, but not away either--off to the side). Get back on the road away from home and he does the same thing except will take a few steps in the direction I want to go before he turns or stops. I got soooo dizzy and worn out. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was nuts, as this spinning took place right in front of their house. It was: take 5 steps, stop, spin 20 times (while losing 6 steps), take 5 more steps repeat........

He ended up walking about 100 yds past the line (which took about an hour and a half), I only turned around to head home when he was walking forward away from home and I turned him (not him turn on his own).

Do you think I'm on the right track here? Any tips? I know this problem escalated because I let him win when I first got him because I was very intimidated, I need to step it up as the authority figure (which I'm working on). Honestly he still scares me, I am just staying with it better, a newbie on a horse that is rearing (and what should I do when he pops up like that??? Thought about swatting his butt, but he will take off if I do that)....


I'd like to be able to go riding anywhere, riding in a pen is not much fun (neither is fighting a horse to go where you want).

What do you think?

Somebody posted a great video regarding barnsour horses and how to work through that. Wish I could remember where. If you do a search for that, you might come across it. Can't even remember the trainer who made the video. Not someone well known.
But the main point he made is to keep the horse's feet moving as vigorously as possible in the outward direction and turn and do a circle BEFORE the horse reaches the point where it is going to turn around or balk or rear. That's all I really remember.
As for rearing, it's a dangerous habit for a horse. I can imagine you would feel a bit buffaloed by that. I would , too. If I felt that I could deal with the results, I would swat the horse good and hard right under his belly. I was told that this makes them "curl up" around the pain, which would bring them down from the rear. Then boot them forward. I do know, DON"T pull back on the reins!

Was it David Lee Archer? He's an amazing trainer, and has some fantastic videos out there. The mare in the barn sour video I'm thinking of is actually my friends mare, who we used to board until she went into training there (:
Posted via Mobile Device

Drunken walk to the rescue! Here's what you do. When you get to that point where he plants his feet and starts to grow roots, all you do is let one rein go completely slack and pull on the other gently so his nose comes around a little. Then drop that rein and pull on the other one. He will have to move his feet to counteract the bending and the alternating reins result in him literally following his nose. Don't use any leg. You don't want him to know you're asking him to go forward. You'll look silly as you wander down the road, but you will go forward, however crookedly. I've done this many times with my sometimes reluctant TB. It works every time!

I personally would never let my horse turn all the way around. Something in their brain seems to tell them that they got what they wanted just by turning back toward the direction they wanted to go, even if they never got there.