Miniature horse behavior

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I am 30 years old and I have been around many horses in my life but this one takes the cake.  She acts like she is just stuborn but I think she is out smarting me because she wants to do what she wants and not what I want her to do.  
Do you know anything about minis?  I have a one year old and she is hard to catch, and when you catch her she backs her butt right into you and you can't do anything with her. When you try to lead her she turns around and backs up with you.  WHen you start to lead she pulls back on the lead rope and it's tug o war.  If you hold on long enough she will give then she will lead for you about 100ft and then here come the butt again.  I just don't know what to do with her or where to start.  She acts like she has 3/4 mule in her. Other than that she is a sweet little girl.  She doesn't kick or bite. She is pastured with two other minis.  I have no trouble out of them.  She is the youngest of the three. Can you help me?

Thanks for your time,

Jan

ANSWER: Hi Jan, your horse problems are you.  I tell 90% of the people this, so don't feel bad.  You don't understand a horse or how they think, so you don't understand what they do and why they do.  Your horse is being a normal horse.  It only knows how to be a horse.  Your questions says She , she, she, when it should say I, I, I,.   Let me write your question the way it really is and not the way you see it.

I chase my horse and teach her to run so I can't catch her.  When I catch her I allow her to put her butt to me and I don't know how to control her.  When I lead her wrong, I allow her to turn around and back up to me.  When I pull on her, she pulls back like all horses do and it becomes a tug of war that I cause.  I act like a mule when I deal with her.  I think she is sweet but she is really just a horse doing normal horse things.

You ask if I can help you, only if you help yourself.  You have to admit and acknowledge that you cause every action a horse does, if it is the wrong action you caused it, if it is the right action, you caused.  People want to take credit when their horse is good, but want to blame the horse when it does wrong.  It is never the horse's fault.  We, people, cause all problems with horses.

People who write me tell me I am rude, mean, uncaring and other names.  I know how a horse feels.  I simple tell people that they are the problem and only they can fix it.  People want to blame me for telling them, just like when a horse tells you things that you don't like, you blame the horse and call them stubborn, mean, sassy, hard-headed, etc.

Read my web page on horsemanship.  It will explain about herd behavior and why your horse is doing these things.  And stop blaming the horse. Once you work on YOUR horse knowledge, you will be able to communicate with the horse and get it to be a willing partner, right now you are talking a language the horse does not understand, so it is confused, scared and resistance.  All of this can change overnight if you learn to think, act and understand a horse.

If you wrote me and said please help, I have lived in a house most of my life, please tell me how to build a house.  Asking me to help you understand a horse is about as broad of a question as the building a house.  I think learning a horse is much easier, but it takes people to admit the problem is them and they have put in time effort and research to learn and understand a horse.  Once you do this you will never need to ask anyone why your horse does what it does.  

Read my web site and if you are still unsure, write me back.

Rick

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: You are right Rick.  I guess I do this because my others have came to me ready to go.  I have no trouble at all with them.  She needs to be spoken to right and I went on your website.  I will read it more tonight when I get home. I really never have started a young horse so you are right it is my problem.  She is just being a horse and doing what she knows to do.   One qiuck thing I would like to know.  How should i start the communication process with her?  How can I start builing trust with her?

Answer
Even a horse ready to go will test you and if you do not show him you are a strong and confident leader he will start to take over, it is his nature.

To talk to a horse so they can understand you, you must understand them, they respect a higher horse, a higher horse moves them and tells them what to do, that is what makes a horse feel safe.  This horse needs to know what you want so it can give it to you, so read about horse behavior, herd behavior, pressure and release.  Every thing you do to a horse either puts pressure or releases pressure.  You have know ho to do  that so you can put pressure to move the horse and release pressure the second the horse does what you want.

Learn how a horse tests you so you can move the horse when they do it, so that will tell the horse you know what you are doing and you are a strong and confident leader, then they will see you as a higher horse then they will test you less and you will learn how to ask for what you want and the horse will know how to give it to you.

Read and learn so you don't confuse the horse and set the horse up failure.

Rick