Some days, your horse is just a brat. He/she doesn’t want to listen. Doesn’t want to do what you ask. Is it a training issue? Or something else?
Compliance is Mandatory
Although it’s nice for a horse to be a horse, when it comes to interacting with humans, the ability to take commands from us is mandatory. Why?
➡ Horses are larger than we are. It’s easy to get hurt with a horse suddenly knocking into us, kicking, striking, or biting.
➡ Their safety depends on being able to be compliant. There are many instances that are dangerous to horses – riding on the shoulder of the road, getting their leg caught in a hazard, approaching a rattlesnake, to name a few.
But sometimes, despite our best efforts, our horse doesn’t want to listen. Bratty? Perhaps not.
Non-compliance due to pain
One of the reasons that the horse may not be willing to work with us is that there is an underlying pain issue. We may not recognize the issue because horses are stoic.
◆︎ Arthritis Pain:
Last night, I saw a pony that didn’t want to pick up the left canter lead. She wasn’t being stubborn. The arthritis in that hock made it painful to comply.
➡ Possible solution: Recognize arthritis pain issues. Supplements such as Mov-Ease and Ulta-micronized PEA may be supportive for horses with arthritis. Other common choices are Boswellia or Devil’s Claw.
◆︎ Ulcer Pain:
Many horses with ulcers are reluctant to work. Unfortunately, the only way to reliably know if your horse has ulcers is by gastric endoscopy.
➡ Possible solution: Veterinary care by gastroscopy can confirm the diagnosis of ulcers and recommend a treatment plan. Equine Ulcer Support may be supportive for horses with suspected ulcers.
◆︎ Anxiety:
Horses are herd animals. Social isolation can create unwanted behavior, such as seeking companions, or heading back to the barn.
➡ Possible solution: Ride with a companion. Support your horse with ashwagandha.
◆︎ PPID:
Horses with undiagnosed or have untreated PPID may experience lethargy and not want to comply.
➡ Possible solution: The gold standard for the treatment of PPID is pergolide. However, there may be reasons why you would be unable to treat with pergolide. Chastetree berry may be helpful for these horses.
◆︎ EPM or other neurological disease:
Your horse may not be able to physically do what you ask them due to EPM or other disease.
➡ Possible solution: Veterinary care is critical for EPM. It’s not unusual to have repeated bouts of EPM symptom flairs. This may be due to reinfection or because the protozoa was not effectively eliminated with prior treatments.
◆︎ Ovarian Pain:
Ovarian pain is often overlooked. This can be debilitating and even lead to symptoms of colic.
➡ Possible solution: Veterinary care is necessary to diagnose and treat ovarian pain. He/she may recommend banamine or other treatments.
Before we label our horse as bratty, it’s important to explore other possible reasons for their non-compliance.
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©Joan Kulifay, MSc. 2026