To begin with, do not feed him any treats or anything else out of your hand. He needs to learn that that is no longer a successful way to get treats. Then your goal is to teach the horse to respect your space by teaching him to back away from you. There are several techniques to teach a horse to back up. You can shake the lead shank at him, tap the lead rope with a whip or stick, or tap the horse on the chest. In each case, you simply keep bumping or tapping until the horse takes a step back. As soon as the horse steps back, reward the horse by stopping the cue and letting him rest. After the horse rests, ask again for a step back. By being consistent in asking and responding to the positive steps of your horse, you should be able to teach him to back. Subsequently, you will need to make the horse back every time he gets pushy to reestablish his respect and your authority.

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