Instructions
Get the horse away from home no matter how much time and effort it takes. Working with a barn sour horse can test your patience, but you reinforce the problem if you get on the horse and give up after it fights you for a while. You might need to use a crop or spurs to force the horse to move if it is stubbornly balking or backing up.
Trot and canter the horse early in the ride, horse trainer Cherry Hill recommends. This will tire it out, making the horse less likely to try to rush home or to take off on you.
Circle the horse if it quickens its pace when you get near the barn as you head home. The animal is trying to get home more quickly. Do not allow it to continue toward the barn until it walks at a normal pace. Eventually it will learn that speeding up takes longer because you will start the circle maneuvers.
Ride past your usual home entrance several times before actually heading to the barn, Jeffrey Rolo of the Alpha Horse equestrian website advises. Pass the driveway, gate or other entrance to your property where the horse is used to turning. Be firm if it tries to resist, even if it takes some time to get the animal moving again. This will teach it that being near home doesn't necessarily mean you will be going back to the barn.
Ride the horse for an additional 15 minutes to a half-hour. This can be done in an arena if you have one. Otherwise, just ride the horse back and forth around the property. Hill recommends tying it securely after the ride and letting it stand for a while before unsaddling it. This will remove the association between home and immediate rest, making the horse less anxious to return to the barn.
How to Stop a Horse From Being Barn Sour
A horseback ride should be a pleasure. It feels so good to relax out on the trails on the back of a willing equine. Unfortunately, some horses become barn sour and turn each ride into a battle of wills. A barn sour horse will be reluctant to leave its home territory. It will keep trying to turn back during the first part of the ride, and it will speed up its pace toward the end when it knows home is near. Fortunately, most barn sour horses can be retrained to stop these undesirable behaviors.