Why Horses Pull Back
If you’ve ever had a horse that pulls back when tied, you know how frightening—and dangerous—it can be. One moment they’re standing quietly, and the next they’re throwing their whole bodyweight into the halter, fighting like their life depends on it. Lead ropes snap. Halters break. Horses thrash and scramble. And after just one or two episodes, most riders look at their horse and think:
“Great. Now I have a chronic pull-back horse. Is this ever going to get better?”
Yes.
It absolutely can.
But only if you fix the real issue—not the symptom.
Pulling back has nothing to do with a horse “not tying well” or being “disrespectful.” A horse pulls back because they feel trapped. They panic. They don’t know how to deal with pressure. And when pressure feels confusing or painful, they go straight into fight-or-flight.
This blog will show you how to fix that—step by step—without force, fear, or any of the harsh old-school tactics that often create more problems than they solve.
We’ll walk through:
Why horses pull back (the real root)
Soft tie vs. hard tie
The five critical exercises that build a horse who can handle pressure
How to safely teach your horse to step forward instead of exploding backward
Real examples from everyday riders learning these exact skills
By the end, you’ll see exactly how to transform a pull-back horse into one that thinks, softens, and steps forward—even when life throws surprises their way.
The Real Reason Horses Pull Back
A horse that pulls back isn’t stubborn. They’re scared.
When pressure comes on the poll—especially upward pressure—they often panic because:
They feel trapped
They don’t know how to relieve the pressure
They’ve been hard-tied and hurt before
They have no mental model for stepping into pressure
They’re naturally claustrophobic
Imagine all your weight suddenly pulling from the back of your skull. That’s what a hard-tied horse feels the moment they lean back.
Many horses that pull back have learned, accidentally, that the only relief is to fight harder—so they throw their whole body into the panic. And the next time? They do it sooner. Harder. Faster.
Unless you change the pattern.
And that begins with understanding one crucial principle…
Why Soft Tying Beats Hard Tying (Every Time)
Before we even talk about training, we have to fix the environment we tie in.
Hard Tie
A hard tie is exactly what it sounds like—no give, no slide, no release. Once a horse panics, all their weight shoots into the halter and they hit a dead end. The pain spikes instantly, and the panic multiplies.
It’s the perfect recipe for:
Neck injuries
Misalignment
Broken gear
Reinforced fear
Bigger and faster pull-backs
Soft Tie
A soft tie is a safety valve.
Instead of knotting the rope hard and fast, you wrap it around the rail two or three times (or sometimes just once). There’s drag—but not a dead stop. If the horse pulls, the rope gives just enough that they feel relief rather than pain.
And something amazing happens:
They step back into the pressure on their own.
Once a horse feels that the pressure doesn’t trap them—and that stepping forward brings comfort—they start choosing softness over panic.
At Steady Horse, every new training horse is soft-tied for the first couple months, no matter what the owner says about their tying history. It’s simply not worth risking a panic episode over a horse we don’t know yet.
But soft tying alone isn’t enough.
Now we have to teach the horse how to mentally and physically handle pressure.
And that begins with the first foundational exercise.
Exercise 1: High Leading — Teaching the Horse to Follow Poll Pressure
Most horses pull back when they feel upward pressure. So our first job is to mimic that pressure safely while teaching the horse what to do with it.
Here’s how:
Pick up the lead rope high, not low.
Apply upward pressure and wait.
If the horse braces, freezes, or leans back—hold steady.
If the horse won’t step forward, begin to step sideways.
When they lose balance and take even one step forward—release immediately.
Breathe. Rub. Reset.
At first you’re just looking for a tiny “try”—one step. Then two. Then a consistent walk. Before long, you can lead the horse around the barnyard with your hand way up like you’re teaching a toddler to walk.
They look goofy.
But they’re learning the most important skill of all:
When pressure comes up, step forward—not back.
Exercise 2: Sending Out, Drawing In, and Drawing Forward
Once the horse can respond to poll pressure at a standstill, we add movement—because instinct kicks harder when the feet are moving.
You will:
Send the horse out in a circle
Pick up high on the lead
Draw the horse in
Keep drawing forward
Reward the instant they step toward you
Do this at:
The walk
The trot
The canter
The higher the gait, the higher the instinct.
But that’s exactly what we want.
Because the real world is full of high-instinct moments.
And we want their habit—not their panic—to take over.
Exercise 3: Desensitizing at a Standstill
Some horses don’t pull back because of pressure alone. They pull back because something scared them first.
Plastic bag. Tarp. Another horse. Wind. A gunshot in the distance.
Desensitizing at a standstill teaches them that stimuli don’t have to mean danger. The flag, tarp, rope, saddle pad—none of it is out to get them.
Quiet repetition builds confidence.
Confidence lowers reactivity.
Lower reactivity dramatically reduces pull-back triggers.
We always start at a standstill so that relaxation becomes the priority—not forward flight.
Exercise 4: Desensitizing in Motion — Putting It All Together
Now we combine upward pressure + movement + stimulus.
This is where the skill really forms.
You will:
Lead high
Wave the flag
Ask for forward
Keep your horse moving even when they get sticky
Match your reward to the softness
The horse learns:
“Even if something scary happens, and even if I feel pressure…I move forward into my handler.”
This breaks the fight-thrash-pull-back cycle at its root.
Exercise 5: Soft-Tie Desensitizing on the Post
This is where the final connection is made.
You begin with:
A soft tie
One or two wraps (not three or four)
Gloves for your hands
No body parts between rope and rail
Then:
Add a small amount of tension.
Watch for the first sign of reaction (head lift, eye white, body brace).
Hold the tension—don’t increase it.
If the horse backs, allow the rope to slide with drag.
When they stop, released the tension for the first rep or two.
After that, only release when they step forward.
This is where the pattern flips.
Forward = relief
Backward = no relief
Once a horse believes this, the habit changes for good.
Progress Isn’t Instant — and That’s Okay
Some horses make a miracle turnaround overnight.
Most don’t.
Most need:
Weeks of repetition
Safety
Consistency
Clear timing
Emotional stability from the handler
And that’s where the stories from riders in the transcript come in.
Story: When Forward Really Does Fix Everything
One student described working her mare in the round pen during a windy, dusty day when little dirt devils were whipping across the arena. The horse started spinning, darting left and right, looking for the escape.
Her instinct as a rider was to freeze.
But freezing confirms to the horse that there’s something to fear.
So I coached her:
“Don’t stop her—send her forward.”
She pushed her horse through the anxious moment, kept her feet moving, breathed deeply, and maintained direction.
By the end of the session?
The mare was:
Dropping her head
Trotting softly
Licking and chewing
Calm despite the swirling dirt devils
Forward, not freezing, is leadership.
Story: Reading the Pre-Ride Checklist
Another rider shared how her gelding Sawyer came out of the stall on high alert. She couldn’t see anything wrong—but Sawyer saw something.
He was reactive to flexing.
His head whipped up after each release.
His body stayed tight and sticky.
Instead of climbing on “hoping it works out,” she listened.
She respected the signals.
She stayed on the ground and worked until he finally settled.
The next day?
Perfectly normal.
Relaxed.
Soft.
Connected.
Her patience kept her safe—and kept her horse progressing.
That is what pressure training creates:
A horse who thinks instead of reacts.
A rider who leads instead of freezes.
Story: Teaching a Horse to Move Through The Panel
Pressure training also helps with day-to-day situations, like moving a horse close to a gate. One student was struggling to get her horse near the panel so she could open a gate from the saddle.
The problem wasn’t the gate.
It was the horse’s belief:
“I can’t move into that pressure.”
By teaching him to move:
The front end
The hind end
Through the rail
Into small amounts of confinement
…she built a horse who eventually said, “Oh…you want me close to the panel. Got it.”
That’s the kind of confidence we want every horse to have.
You Must Get Outside Their Comfort Zone—Safely
This part is important:
Your horse cannot truly learn to step into pressure until they feel pressure for real.
You don’t want to overwhelm them.
You don’t want an explosion.
But you do need enough stimulus that they:
Feel unsure
Consider backing
Think about the panic pattern
And choose softness instead
Relief must come from forward—not from fighting.
That’s how we rewrite the habit.
Safety Considerations (Non-Negotiable)
When doing any of this work:
Wear gloves
Never wrap a rope around your hand
Never stand between the rope and the post
Ensure you can slide and release rope if needed
Start small
Build confidence gradually
Pressure training is powerful—but only when done thoughtfully.
The Truth About “Pull-Back Horses”
You don’t have a “pull-back horse.”
You have a horse who hasn’t been taught:
How to understand pressure
How to stay calm under stimulus
How to find the release
How to trust their handler during uncertainty
Once you give them those skills, everything changes.
And your horse becomes:
Safer
Softer
More confident
More responsive
More relaxed
More connected to you
It’s not magic.
It’s method.
And it works every time you apply it with consistency and clarity.
If Your Horse Pulls Back, There Is a Path Forward
You can fix this.
Your horse can learn to stand tied quietly, even in unpredictable moments.
But it won’t come from force.
It won’t come from tying them higher.
It won’t come from “letting them fight it out.”
It comes from clarity.
Connection.
Pressure skills.
And a calm, thinking rider who puts safety first.
If you’re willing to put in the reps, your horse will absolutely change.
And when that pull-back fear disappears?
Your whole relationship gets safer…and a whole lot more enjoyable.
Want to Go Deeper?
You don’t have to live with fear in the saddle.
Learn the simple, proven process to build confidence and stay safe with your horse—starting today.
👉 Watch the Free Training (https://steadyhorse.com)
