Time to put yourself in the "head horse" role. It's something that everyone needs to establish with their horses from the get-go.

A dressage whip or lunge whip may be your friend in this scenario. Step back when it happens, and pop them in the butt. The horse isn't expecting it, and instead of them hurting and/or scaring you away, you've done it to them! It may take a time or two for it to click with your horse.. but it'll eventually happen.

And anytime your horse is acting defiantly, make yourself the one in charge. I personally use the same movements and body language that horses do. If any of my mares are invading my personal space, I tell them to back off. How do horses tell each other to back off? They pin their ears and charge at them. All I do is turn around, and make one big lunge forward with one foot.. and without fail, the horse backs off. If they don't? I do it again..

And what do horses do if the other horse wont take a hint? They turn around and kick them. So I either 1.) Smack them - not really hard, but hard enough to make a point. Only do it on somewhere like the shoulder - NEVER the face! Or 2.) I will turn around kick them like any other horse would do. Again, not hard, but to get my point across. Around the shoulder or front of the chest works.. If your horse isn't use to it, it'll be a guaranteed shock, and they'll back off right away.


I did all of this with a Appy filly I had not too long ago, who was super pushy [hey, she was young - not quite two]. After just a few sessions of her learning to respect me, she was a perfect angel on the ground. Lead nicely, stood nicely to be groomed. The woman who bought her couldn't believe what a nicely behaved filly she was.. and it was all because she knew that if she respected me and my space, I'd do the same for her.