Surprising, Overhwelming, or "all of a sudden" moments with the Horse

All of a "sudden"

Nothing is random when a horse does it. You may not know why he did it, but it was not an accident.
The equine's body is a reflection of his brain and emotions.
Is the horse's movement a problem? No.
It is the result of his asking for support that was "answered" with the use of more pressure "driving" him into complying. Which "worked," until it didn't.
The question should be, "What were all the subtle resistant, defensive, and avoidant equine behaviors that appeared in scenarios asked of the horse before final resistance?"
Take a few minutes and play detective:
Did the horse start looking away (literally) to avoid the area you were leading/riding him into?
Did the horse fixate on an object/buddy horse and not focus on where he was physically being asked to move?
Did he speed up and rush through an area or task and you had to contain him?
Did his movement start to drift or leak as you approached an area he was unsure of?
If you were able to pass through an area of bother, did it feel like he was rushing or "fleeing" afterward?
The horse only has so many ways to communicate he is unsure or needs more support.
Humans tend to be task fixated, pushing a horse through something thinking if the horse does it once, he'll be okay the next time. And sometimes it appears that way. Until the day the horse "suddenly" quits.
Focus on the quality of "tools" and skill-sets you have to help interrupt and redirect his thought, drain his tension, soften his body and create a curiosity versus building defensiveness when you present new or unfamiliar scenarios.
Prioritize being able to influence his thought WITHOUT it feeling like a fight before you present a potentially stressful scenario. Or else you're setting yourself up to be "at the mercy" of the horse.
It isn't about getting through a scenario, rather the quality of every Conversation between you and the horse either contributes to or diminishes the partnership.

Experiencing unwanted scenarios with your equine, but unsure where to start? Click HERE for an intro with Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach telephone consultation to have Sam help break down your scenario and how to approach improving the partnership.