Barn sour :(

Yesterday was the first day of a group trail ride. I had taken my horse out alone a couple of months ago and she was perfect a little shy of everthing you know look twice at everything but nothing to bad she left the barn perfectly did everything I asked with no questions.
Now yesterday I had to really kick her on to get her past the barn she was trying to turn around she was just plain old barn sour. I don't know why it was this time that she had to be bad as I was telling everying before how great she is out on trails... Does anyone have any excersises for us to do? I really want to go out alone and with groups a lot this year and I don't want any troubles...
Any sujestions?

Just keep urging her to go . The more you trail ride her out the better she should get. Most horses prefer company on the trail, another horse, so that is always better. But if you have to ride alone, keep doing what you are doing. Once she behaves and relaxes, reward her, praise her, etc..i use a crop when I know my guy is probably going to be a pain. It is better than kicking if you ask me.

Anything you can do to keep her focused will help. Backing up, circles, etc. Every once in a while our 6 year old mare will decide she would rather be back with her buddies and I've found that the more she has to do (going over logs, trail blazing), the less she thinks about it. And of course, praise when she behaves.

Just keep going out together. I would spend more time with her doing one on one things as well. She may not see you as her buddy which makes her not wanting to leave the barn.
If you spend more time with her one on one it will be easier for her to go out with you by yourselves.

Otherwise other than that, the only other thing you can do is take her out lots, until she gets used to it.

Like has already been said...keep her working and moving.

With Dez I used to ride him maybe once a week around the arena....which is close to the barn...very close...so he was in his little comfort zone. When he was given to me, I had plans to trail ride with him...but he wasn't having it. When I'd walk him a few steps away from the arena...he'd try to turn and speed up towards the barn. He wouldn't listen to me...at all. He had his mind set on going back to barn...whichever way was the best. Yeah...I hit the dirt a few times. Lol

So I started from square one. (now I'm not saying you should do this, but this worked for me) I started him on ground, lounging him a good distance from the barn...then after I would lounge him I'd get on and ride and do cirle 8s...farther and farther. I kept him working the whole time. I did this every day for a good while and pretty soon I was able to head out of the barn and go without any problems.

Just work with her as much as you can and the barn sour attitude will eventually go away.

Thanks guys, Me and a barn mate who was their yesterday went out today and she was worse both of the horses were. But once we got past the barn sour part and got to the galloping feilds. She was BAD. Mr.T my friends horse was really good they were cantering around. Gypsy all I could do was walk and trot and if I asked for a canter she crow hoped and bucked. I also couldnt let her be on a loose rein or she would take over...So I have lots of and lots of work to do. I hope I can go out once a day...I wish I could lunge her by the barn but theirs not really a good area.

We've had a few horses who weren't 'barn' sour, but 'herd' sour... Same difference, really... though.

With my girl, I made her go, but I let her do pretty much what she wanted and let her stop and graze a lot more than I usually did when we rode with another horse. She was quick to pick up on the fact that when we ride alone, she got to have more fun, go more places, and not work half as hard. Now she's the best horse in the world when it comes to riding alone, and I've gotten her back up to doing very hard work when riding alone.

My uncles mare is BAD herd sour. She'll ride alone, but you've got to stay on your toes when riding her alone or she'll throw you and run back home... she's a challenge, but she knows to listen... she just is a handful... she's always been like that, though.

Well she was better at leaving the barn this time but I did bring a crop. But we decided to go up into the tight trails not just galloping hills and we got lost in an elk train, while raining. And we had to lead the horse through thick thick brush. It was bad but they did REALLY well. Im both happy and mad at her because she still would take over even as we were going home and I had to lead her back to ther barn cause I couldnt get back on

Try again...poo happens! :roll:

Sorry about your crappy ride tho...

Sounds like there are some training issues. The horse is not respecting you.