Leader..again :)

Question
Hi again this is Lexie, the 13 year old with the 'bully' horse. Alright so I took your advice, and oddly enough Comanche 'challenged' me. Every time I went down to the field I would lightly push him and he would swing away. Nakita however had a harder time accepting me as leader. She would hardly move. Anyways to the main question, I was feeding Comanche in the stall and I bent down to ruffle his hay for no apparent reason and he turned his rump to me and acted like he was going to kick me. I remember what you said and kept my cool, calmy moving around I patted his head and he calmed turning back to his hay. This is strange behavior for Comanche as Nakita is the 'boss' around the barn. What should I do? Getting Nakita to respect me and move away from my touch, and showing Comanche I am worthy enough to be his protector.

Also before this confrontation, about 2 days ago it started, Comanche wouldn't lead properly. Our stable is set out like this: We have the main barn and such, then 4 or 5 paddocks less than 1 acre. After that we have the run fields, then we have giant fields. I had recently put Comanche in the paddock, (we have moved to a new stable and I now ride for my own mom's stable! :)) I went to brush him, as I like to groom in the paddock its just more relaxing, and he turned and jogged away. He had been in the paddock about an hour. I finally managed to clip the lead rope on his halter and he refused to walk with me. He does this all the time now, I don't understand what I have done wrong. He normally just followed wherever. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I am just dumbfounded from his behavior. Its obviously something I've done, I just can't figure out what.

Thanks so much,
       Lexie

Answer
If you groom a horse that is free and he walks away, you teach him to get release he must walk away.  If you groom him and he walks away, walk with him and DO NOT stop grooming until he stops walking.  When he stops, groom him one or two times and then you walk away, he learns to get you to stop he has to stand still.  People want too much too fast and don;t stop enough to give a horse release.

I groom while my horses eat, that way they don't want to leave their food and I groom and walk away soon they know that I will quit if they just stand still.

As for leading, You must not pull or try to lead a horse as soon as you hook up the lead rope, you have to hook it up and then just pet and rub the horse for ten or 15 seconds so he forgets that you hooked him up, that way when you ASK him to come and follow you, he will do it because he wants to not because he has too or you will pull him.

IF he does not come when you call him or ask him to follow you, you dont drag him, you pull hard and then loosen the rope and call him, dont get in a pulling contest or try and make him come, just pull hard and release and call him he will come to get you to stop pulling on him as long as you release, your horse should never be forced or pulled to follow you, he must follow you out of respect.  

If he does not move, then make him move his butt away from you and face you, when he does that, you will be moving his feet and he will see you as higher and leader.

Rick