If you have a horse that is suddenly refusing to let you ride him, he won't walk on a lead and suddenly decides to go into a full trot when you want him to stop, you don't have a stubborn horse or a horse that has forgotten his training, you have a very clever horse that is testing your dominance.

First of all rule out anything physical that is causing your horse discomfort or pain. Many horses will act out in an effort to alleviate pain and also call your attention to it.

Every horse is an individual and they all have different levels of aggression. Some horses will never challenge your role as "top horse" and others will periodically throw a proverbial horseshoe in the works just to see how you react and if you are still in charge. Also, firmly but gently remain in control. Never yell or strike your horse, he will just decide you want to cause him harm and all the training you have done will be immediately undone and your horse may or may not trust you ever again.

A good way to remind your horse who is in charge, is to revisit early training such as ground manners and leading. When he listens and responds, praise him and give him a treat if he does exceedingly well. Horses love both and they are effective teaching methods. If he disobeys, gently repeat the command and continue to do so unless you lose his interest or he becomes agitated. If you feel like you're losing your patience, end the lesson. A horse will pick up very quickly if you're feeling stressed and many horses will mirror your emotions.

Your horse will need frequent training during the process of reasserting your dominance,don't waiver or you'll teach him that he can be in charge "sometimes". Stick to praise and rewards and you will have your horse retrained in no time.

If your horse seems to know the basic rules for behavior but still misbehaves, you may not have a horse who is untrainable, you may have a horse who is questioning your authority.

Respect:

Training your horse is an exercise in trust and respect. If you are working with your horse and you have any feelings that you are fearful or unsure of what you are doing, your horse will pick up on those feelings and quickly lose respect for you. In order to have a well trained horse, he must respect you. If he doesn't respond to your commands, try again and get a mind set for yourself that you are the one in charge and really feel it so your horse will feel it too. He will respect you and cease to question your authority in the horse/owner relationship.

Saddling and Bridling Your Horse:

If your horse doesn't want to suddenly accept the saddle and bridal, make sure neither is causing him pain and then it is easy to reintroduce them. Periodically, you may have to go back and retrain your horse on certain activities. If you don't do them on a regular basis, your horse will push that training to the back of his mind and it may have to be recalled. Let him have a good look and smell at the bridle and saddle again. He will smell himself on them and realize they are okay objects that won't hurt him.

Always treat your horse's fears with compassion and take the time to help him get over them, but do not allow your horse to set the limits. You must always remain in charge of the situation. Never get physically rough with your horse. Always use praise and rewards in your training as it will get you a lot further than harsh treatment. Train regularly and repeat certain lessons frequently as consistency with your horse is the key to all good training!