refusing to move....

[Levigal]

I have been playing the ground work games with our 3 year old colt, specifically the friendly game, porcupine game, yo-yo, driving game, and circle game. I've also been working with leading him...asking him to stop when I stop, back up when I back up, etc.

We have done about four sessions over the last week or so, and he was doing well. However, recently, he has decided not to follow me when I set off to lead him. He just plants his feet. I have resorted to pulling him gently with light hands, (like yo-yo). He usually comes to me, but then will not start off walking with me. It is like he has figured out if he doesn't follow me, he doesn't have to stop when I stop. Out of the arena, he leads fine.

What is the best response to my horse when he does this? Obviously, I want him to follow me willingly.

[CMR]

I don't know how to fix it, but it sounds as though he's just bored. If he leads fine outside of the arena, I would just leave it at that. My Paint gelding leads fine outside of the arena, and will sometimes follow me around the arena without a halter and lead, but he is just doing it to humour me. He doesn't enjoy it, and in fact he honestly looks as though he is bored out of his mind. Them following your every move is not something you can train, it just comes with time. Your horse has to accept you as the dominant horse, and respect you.
If you look at it like your horse is probalby looking at it, you're not going anywhere, and not accomplishing anything. A silly human is just dragging you all over the arena for no reason, for you to only stop and start it all over.
Perhaps instead of continuing to drill the seven games, why not try and progress through the Parelli Level one(excluding riding) and go on to Level two groundwork? It will provide more challenge and by the time you start riding him you could very well have completed all the Parelli groundwork up to level three, talk about amazing :D

[Levigal]

Is there any way to buy "used" copies of the Level 1 and 2 Parelli kits? Just curious... They are very pricey.

[Crystal Fire]

Try EBay.
Now bear in mind that Pat Parelli himself wouldn't play the 7 games over and over again with a horse. They are a route to doing other things. In Pat's case, he gets an barely handled youngster in off the mountain, moves it about (7 games) and gets on. So you need to start putting a purpose in what you are doing. Get your youngster out and about and use the 7 games to send him over, around and backwards when you meet obstacles on the way. Make it fun for both of you, but forget going into the arena and setting out to "play" 7 games in order.
I met a man who spent a lot of time with Pat P before PNH was invented. He said the worst thing Pat did was call it games "This isn't about games, it's darn serious stuff". :)