Pain or Attitude?
For the most part, horses are willing to work with their riders and handlers with a positive attitude. Except for the instance of a horse being born with a nature that tends to be more grumpy, a horse wants to get along with people. When a horse's work ethic or attitude changes, there is most often a pain or a health issue at the root of the problem that needs to be found. If horse is unable to work comfortably, they may begin to act out: blowing up or biting at their handler or rider for the girth to be cinched; wringing the tail, tightening or flattening the ears when asked for gait or lead changes; refusing and/or unable to pick up a gait or lead, incapable of previously attained collection or extension; rearing, striking, biting, bucking, etc.
When a horse is asked to work while they are in pain, the activity being requested starts to resemble torture to them. They become "lazy", have a "poor attitude", are "witchy", are "just stubborn", a "poor mover", the list goes on! Think about how well we are able to move around with a rock in our shoe or back pain. Not very well! So many times a horse is expected to perform at their best in pain and without freedom of movement. They are punished and labeled unfairly.
Listening to what they tell us and ruling out a pain problem can save an owner and their horse a lot of frustration, upset, wasted effort and battles.