Horses range from tiny miniatures, to giant draft, and any one of them can exhibit a behavioral problem. Most behavioral problems are the result of boredom, are learned from other horses, or may be the result of improper training, or poor handling. Let us look at what the most common behavioral problems in horses are, their causes, and solutions.
Hard to Catch
Some horses avoid being caught out of fear, others treat being caught as a game. An owner with a horse that is hard to catch, should keep it in as small of a pen as possible and find every opportunity to work with it. If, as a foal, a horse had a dam who was hard to catch, its fear of humans comes from watching her behavior. Offering a horse treats while you are putting the halter on is a good way of teaching it that being caught equals a reward. Some people leave the halters on horses who are hard to catch, but this is not without risks of the horse getting caught on a fence post.
Biting
A horse who bites people out of aggression is uncommon, except in the case of stallions or spoiled ponies. If your horse is biting you it needs to learn some manners. Hitting it will make it head shy, having a tack or sharp nail in your hand and poking the horse discretely with it at the exact moment the bit occurs will discourage the behavior. A person is best if they can "read" their horse well enough to be prepared for the bite, and be ready to respond.
Head Shy
Some horses hate to have their heads brushed, or their ears touched. This is often due to a person being rough when putting on, or removing the bridle. It also comes from situations where horses were not handled extensively when young. Desensitize a horse by touching it everywhere, with a soothing voice, but being confident, and not letting go, nor pushing too hard. Offer treats. Handle the ears (for example) a bit more and more each day. Finish on a positive note.
Pulling Back
In an extreme situation some horses do not respect being tied. This often begins when a horse is in training and tests being tied. If they were not tied firmly enough they will learn that they can break free. It is also formed by horses who were not taught to relax and be calm around people, a scared horse will respond by pulling back. There are two things a person must do. One, is to get a proper halter for training horses not to pull back. The other is to find a safe and secure place, to tie the horse, one that cannot be broken. Review sacking out and other techniques to get a horse to accept being tied, reward frequently.
Herd Bound
A herd bound horse is one that hates to be away from the other horses. While horses are naturally herd creatures you should be able to take yours away from the others and ride it alone in an arena or on trails. Start by making small steps, taking it away from the herd as many times as you can, but for a short amount of time. Make these trips fun and interesting. Even taking it by halter and rope for grazing in another area will help. Above all, try to always take a different route, and never a straight line, back to the barn.
Kicking
Kicking is a difficult habit to cure depending on the cause. It is more common in mares who feel they are being threatened (when they are not in season), but any horse can kick. If the horse is stabled in a standing stall, and kicks out at horses (or people) walking past, a fix is to put a chain behind it, with several chains hanging down, thus it kicks out and the chains swing back at the horse. This can be risky to the horse depending on its attitude so should only be attempted by experts. Another thing is to set up a situation for the horse to kick and respond immediately by a quick whip to the horses rump. If the horse feels a sting instantly every time it kicks it will psychologically make the association and stop kicking.
Cribbing
This is a behavior born of boredom and usually learned from other horses. A horse "cribs" by biting a rail any horizontal surface and sucks in air. Some horses crib on nothing at all, as they are so ingrained with the habit. It can cause colic so should be prevented by using a "cribbing" strap which goes around the horses neck.
Weaving
Weaving is another behavioral problem born of boredom. Weaving is where a horse kept in a box stall literally does nothing but go back and forth for hours in a day. This can be fixed by keeping the stall door open with a gate so the horse can put its head out to look around. The best cure for this problem is to reduce the amount of time a horse is stabled, or to give it a stable companion, such as a goat (allow them to meet first so the horse does not spook).
Difficult to pick up the feet
A horse who does not like getting its feed picked up is annoying, and may even be costly if your farrier cannot deal with it. The best way to fix this problem is to spend lots of time asking your horse to pick up its feet and rewarding it. Look for medical causes that may explain why a horse is having a problem picking up its feet. If there are no medical problems you can consider twitching the horse in order to work on its feet. Always offer a reward when the horse is good.
Hard to Bridle
Have a vet examine the horse for sore teeth. Failing to find a medical problem, work slowly on the horse, touching its head and so on. Offer treats when you put the bit into the mouth. Be extremely gentle when removing the bridle too. If you are new to horses, have somebody show you how to put on and remove the bridle properly, maybe the problem is that you have been doing it wrong.
Won't Stand for Mounting
Return to ground work and establish that the word "Whoa" means stop and stay. Have a friend hold the horse while you mount, or put the horse firmly into a corner while you mount. The only real cure for this is training.
Head Tossing
May be reduced, although not really "cured" by using a piece of equipment known as a "tie-down" or "standing martingale". This is often the horses way of responding to a rider who is too tight with the reins or who jerks the reins causing discomfort to the horse.
Grazing on the Trail
A horse who reaches down, or tries to eat plants on the side of the trail can be unpleasant to ride. One way of combating this is to keep a short rein on the horse, and to never allow it in the first place. Horses learn what they can get away with and try it often if it is to their advantage. Instead you should stop along the trail, dismount, and then allow the horse to graze, or only allow it to graze when you are back home and the bridle is off.
Bucking
When you are riding a horse and it bucks, you must pull up on the reins. A horse cannot buck with its head in the air. When you dismount examine the horse to make sure the problem is not a sore back, or an improper fitting saddle. Have a professional work with the horse. If you cannot get somebody to work with the horse, lunge it for a long time to tire it before riding.
Refusing Fences
This is a learned behavior, if you know your horse can jump the height asked, but frequently refuses. You must ride firmly to a fence, stick to a straight line and make the horse jump. Use your crop, or spurs. Have a more confident rider, one who will not accept refusals, school your horse for a time. Have them school you as well, or consider your horse simply may not like jumping. This horse may simply need more variety in its life.
Running out on Fences
This is where a horse tries to go around a fence rather than over it. Again the solution is to not allow it, or have another rider who will not allow it work with your horse. If the horse starts turning to the right, do not give in and circle it to the right to make another approach, use your left rein to direct it back to the path, even from a very short position (although not an impossible one) make the horse take the fence. Keeping a shorter rein or using a harsher bit may help, but is not the ideal solution.
Refusing a Barrel
There are many behavioral problems seen in barrel horses. Most are the result of the rider spending too much time schooling the horse on the barrels resulting in a sour horse. The best cure for this is to add variety in your day. Try working the horse on the poles, or go on a trail ride. This may also be the result of pain in the horses back or limbs, have a vet check for any sign of lameness.
Spooking
A horse who spooks is not safe to ride. You need to work with your horse to get it to relax. There are many sites to talk about this issue, because it is truthfully a rather lengthy one. Make sure the problem is not related to a vision problem and never reward a horse for spooking (some people do this without realizing it). One of the best things to do is to lunge the horse well before riding. Expose the horse to many situations from the safety of the ground. Never tell the horse anything "is" going to be scary, they can pick up on your body language.
Difficult to Load in a Trailer
This might just be that the horse was not trained early enough or had a bad experience. Keeping a horse in a tie (or standing) stall gets it use to smaller places. The first trailer trip should be short and smooth, with some hay in the trailer. To load a problem horse have plenty of helpers. Make a straigh approach and offer bribes to encourage it. Pull and release as soon as the horse takes a step forward, offer a reward. If the horse is a real problem have the helpers encourage the horse from behind. Do not reinforce a problem by backing out repeatedly on failed attempts to load.
More
These are the most common behavioral problems in horses, there are others. The key is to understanding why a problem is occurring and work with the horse to fix it. Always take time to rule out a medical condition.