Correcting Head Tossing

My mare has recently developed quite the habit. She has been very stubborn and obstinate. She does not want to listen, and would just prefer to be lazy. If I try to ride on the rail, she wants to cut the arena, if I want to go away from the barn area she begins tossing her head and backing, being a brat in general. Everything fits correctly, she is sound, her teeth and back are all fine. I was injured and she's had a vacation for a while and does not want to work. How would you go about correcting the problem? I've asked around the barn, some people tell me just to whop her between the ears when she does this, others tell me just to pull back and scissor her mouth [which I refuse to do] She has never reared but she's tossing her head to the point where I'm highly concerned about it. She wants to just stand outside her stall. If we are in the arena she'll do her damned best to run back to the gate, cut through the arena and just go back to it. I don't let her but it's really frustrating me and I don't want to take a bad approach to it. I want to be able to enjoy riding her without concern for my health or hers. I've been crushed before in a different situation, but when she starts tossing her head and backing up I get flashbacks. It was on a different horse, and happened over two years ago. I don't want to be scared of my horse, I want us to be able to enjoy riding. She gets quite violent, if she doesn't agree with my decision she just starts pitching a fit. Any suggestions? She's had a good four months of little to no work at all while I was down. What are some methods to correct this behavior before someone gets hurt?

Put her in full training with a pro for a 30 refresher and let the pro work it out of her until she decides doing what YOU want is less work than being a .....ahem.....sow....is.

Mm don't have money for a professional haha I'm just worried about being to hard on her and all haha

Don't be afraid of being too hard on her. I don't believe in hitting horses between the ears but the second she dedided to go backwards I'd be all over her behind with a crop. And she could go backwards for DAYS if that's all the movement she would do, but she would not stop until it was ok with me. I would also put a standing martingale on her, short enough that she didn't toss her head high enough to go up in a rear. And again, the crop and spurs are your friend. She's just being a barn/herd sour brat and learning very quickly that if she starts that you'll get off and put her away, so she wins.

i couldnt agree more, we have a gled at the stall I work with him almost daily and her owner sounded just like you she didnt wanted to go hard in him and it all wnet worse!!!.
He started rearing and the bucking and suddenly he had days he wouldnt move from the center of the arena.
The spurs and crop are a very good allie with this kind of horses, y trainer says a horse that backs up and pretend to rear are the worse cos one they they will rear and going backguard they will easily fall on top of you.
If you flex the neck of a horse he can't rear.
So when she begins to be a brat turn her head slightly one side hold ur reins with one hand and whip her behind. Shell probablly buck.
and then start walking and if she wants to run to her barn then really make her run... and hold your reins tight put ur crop on the stall side if she sidesteps use ur whip. And make her canter in the ring for a while, make her get tired and she will learn not to mess with you again.
Believe me she will learn. Im not saying whip her all over or be abusive but like my trainer says a good slap is better than 100 tryes and a bad fall.
Really hope this helps if I can and this horse actes stupid ill film him for you to see what he does and how we work with him.
Your horse doesnet need to fear you just to respect you as an authority she can't go arround being a brat cos she can be a danger for you and for other riders

First of all, as long as you think in terms of your horse being "bratty" you will be resentful about her behaviour because you will feel like she is doing it on purpose to annoy YOU. Your horse is not smart or wicked enough to have such an agenda. She has reasons for doing what she is doing, and they are valid for her. For example, she wants to go back to the way things were before, when she was sitting around and resting. Who wouldn't want that? That is not being a brat, that's being sensible.

But , of course, her job is to be a riding horse, so you need to change her mind. I only meant not to think in adversarial terms and that she is dissing you so you gotta get her back! Negative approach.

You just keep in mind what you want to be the outcome, and don't be dissuaded by her complaining about the change, ok?
YOu want her to move, right? Prefereably forward, right?
So, ask for forward. If she balks, ask her to turn one direction and go forward and yes, a smack on the bum. Think about breaking her out of her balk, so initially, if she goes to the side or backward or whatever, it doesn't matter, just so long as she moves.

Once she is moving then you try to get that movement to go where you want it.

If she throws her head, use one rein and bend her around and circle her. If she starts backing, back her in a circle using one rein only . If she starts to feel like she is going to rear, bend her around pretty tight.

I think that if these problems progress to the point where you feel unsafe and she is threatening to rear, then you must really do what it takes to bring in some professional training. Letting that habit develop is really bad, so very hard to break once it starts.

Please do not take any false sense of security from this fact as it is entirely untrue. So long as the horse can plant his hind feet he can rear, neck straight or neck bent!

She is barn sour. Do you have a friend that can work her best friend close to you, and then move further apart? If not, can you put her bud in a round pen near and move your horse further away?

Very true.

I know she's not being conniving or trying to purposefully piss me off, when she acts up I don't get off her, I try to at least end on a decent note. I just like to call her a brat [I've also given myself a name i'm sure she would agree on xD] She's got her a little boyfriend though, someone at the barn has a stud, and that's pretty much right where she wants to go, it's like she's constantly in season. Fortunately he's well tempered, but is kept stalled constantly since he has 'equipment' and such. I have back problems and all is the reason i'm so concerned about it, I was in a wreck not too long ago and don't want it to get any worse. I'm going out tomorrow, and i'm going to have my crop and my spurs, I'll try the tiring her out bit. I feel so stupid about it really, I'll do it to anyone else's horse given permission and all, but when it comes to my little Lee-Lee I'm apprehensive. I don't want to break her trust but don't want her to break me or anyone else. She was my lesson horse before the accident, and at this point no one else is riding unless it's my partner, I'd rather get myself hurt than put someone else in danger. I just want to go about it without her becoming scared of me and such. I'll let ya'll know how it goes tomorrow, I'm bringing my partner with me to supervise and make sure no one gets hurt :)