Lazy, Mean, Mare not wanting to canter

So I have a 4 year old blue roan hancock filly, she is fat lazy and a can be a huge witch when I ask her to canter It is so frustrating to have her pin her ears back at me and try to throw me when I ask her to move faster. She is perfect besides that! We mainly just trail ride for fun and do arena exercises and a lot of groung work too! Need to know what to do please!!! This is also my first mare lol.. help give me some advice on what to do!!! Also I do know that hancock bred horses do have a reputation

Make her behave. If she pins her ears and trys to get you off you HAVE to have enough experience to push her FASTER because of it. Make her realize that its easier to do what she's told than it is to act up because when she acts up she has to work HARDER. If you can't do this effectively for her then you need to find someone to ride her who can. Ie a trainer or maybe a friend who can stick to her like glue.

Usually a refusal to go into the canter is due to a pain issue. Because of the way the horse moves I at the canter (3-beat stride, horse naturally more downhill at the end of the stride) a lot of issues can come up that won't show at any other gait. My friend years ago could tell if a saddle fit or not on her "opinionated" mare by asking for the canter. If she hit the dust, the saddle wouldn't work; the mare was very sensitive especially in the withers.
Pain could also result from hock problems; there is a lot of strain pit on the hocks during the canter.

So.... Firstly I would rule out pain. Have a professional saddle fitter out (not just your coach/a friend) to check the saddle. If that's ok, I would have a vet out for a once-over; it can't hurt.
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Rule out pain first. Have you seen her cantering in her pasture? Does she do the same lunging at a canter? Can you lunge her with a rider? If she lunges fine and with a rider, pain is not likely the cause and it's a behavioral issue. Have a trainer or more experienced rider get on and work her through it.
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Nothing perfect about her behavior. She needs more ground work to establish you as the leader in EVERY SITUATION. I would "read my words" I would NEVER take this horse trail-riding, if I couldn't trust her to take cues for all gaits in an enclosed area or arena. When you're out on a trail a horse like this will bolt not if, but WHEN frightened. You could be knocked off under a tree limb, or run through a fenced in but not open gate. She might decide to jump something and you'll fly off. Or, you could have no incident at all, but it's risky.
Here is how to establish leadership, but it takes your time and dedication. Start her training over and demand obedience with the lead, picking feet, moving the haunches while tied while grooming, backing YARDS, not just a step or two steps at a time, coming to you after loose lunging, halting ("woah") on command, standing, as if ground tied, while you mount and WAITING until you ask to walk off, backing under saddle, AND obedience to all cues to walk, trot, canter and ALL transitions between them, AND standing tied up for hours!! Last Saturday, for instance, my teenage help couldn't make it out--I expected them at 10am--SO, I brushed and fly-sprayed every inch, combed all the knots out of my 3 horse's manes and tails, put SWAT under their eyes and on their ears, left no dirt uncleaned, did the hooves, and kept them tied up while I gardened, adding hay and water, when necessary for the next 6 hours. This makes them patient. I wouldn't trust YOUR mare until you fixed these things. Just some FYI.

In addition to checking her for pain (though, personally, knowing Hancock horses, she probably really is just being a witch). You might like to read through this thread. Cherie has some really good insights there.
When to start canter work on green horse

Thanks guys some really good info!
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She also had problems standing tied to, she digs and pulls back on the lead rope it is really frustrating to! I had her tied for about 2 hours yesterday an did some ground work with her so hopefully we are on the right track! My husband will get on her and can starighten her little butt out! But I'm wondering if this is just a phase she has to grow out of or more of the rider being the boss? Also she has been looked at by the vet for back pain and he found nothing
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Agree with this.....you have two issues going on here to look at. 1....being a Hancock, they have a mindset that is very tricky to deal with. 2....the physical. Combining those two can be the source of the problem.

First rule out pain...

If nothing is wrong this is what I do on a horse that is crabby and lazy about transitions...

I asks nicely by squeezing, if they still are doggy and roll my heel if still nothing I have an over an under and they get their butt whacked good. I asked nice and they ignored me like I am not serious. They soon find out that when I want a transition I mean business when I ask.

Some horses the rolling my heel up their rib works, some need a small tap with the over and under while others flat out need a wake up call. I can't stand a horse that ignores me.

And same with one that swishes tails or pins ears when I ask something they get their behinds laced with the over and under. It is just like somebody working in an office that has a rude and poor attitude when asked to actually work. I don't tollerate the behavior no matter what thier gender, breed or breeding.

Same with young horses I give them some slack until they figure out the ropes but I don't baby them either.

We have had many hancocks through the years and don't have problems with them.
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