Physical issue or behavioral? New horse. 8-year old QH gelding. Very quiet and submissive. When I picked up his front left to clean it, he fell down on his knees. Next time I was ready and he didn't do it but wanted to. Better lifting the backs but jerked a little. Lifted the front right but didn't like it. Gave me a little trouble lifting them today, worse on the front, pulled foot away and tried to jump away. I whacked him and made him do it. Thinking back to when I was buying him and watching seller clean feet, I noticed he was bracing with his back legs but he just stood there so I never thought about it again, figured he was off-balance, until my incident at home. No other signs of unsoundness. He does have some black and odor in the clefts of his frogs. I don't know if I should get after him or it's something physical. Seller is a dealer and doesn't know too much about his background. Is it possible he's so green he's still bad with his feet at 8-years-old? Or do I have something physical going on? Thanks in advance!

Something is physical going on with him, just dont whacked him anymore, for him to go down on his knees when you picked up a hoof tells me hes sore and something is wrong. With the black crud in the frogs and the odor I bet hes got thrush and that can make them really sore.

Edited to add: It could be a number of things going on with him, with him going down on his knees is not from being a green horse, its soreness that makes them do this. 

I would have his feet X-rayed! My horse that had bad laminitis and and founder started doing that because he was sore and couldn't hold his body up on one front leg. 

Oh boy. Okay, I'll call the vet. 

My horse did that too! She was diagnosed with kissing spine.  But she also had started tossing her head when asked to trot and lope, wouldnt stay in a right lead, felt like she was stepping in a hole on back end.  She was SORE all over but especially her front end.  With chiro, KS saddle right blanket, changed saddle, vitamin E and back strengthening exercises she is SO much better.  Yours may be something simple as foot problem but my wasn't . Good luck

Thanks Donk. That could be a possibility because he's a little horse. Maybe even a pony. And a man was riding him when I bought him. Maybe his back is sore. But today I put him in the round pen and he moved beautifully. Floaty and smooth. He didn't want to lope though. He's real mellow. When I got him loping, he took both leads correctly right away. No signs of pain during our session in the round pen. No limping or tail wringing. Nothing looked off. I did lift the front left foot when I let him stop. He resisted a little. I put it back down before he had a chance to pull away. Hopefully he's just bad with his feet! But I'm going to have the vet come out and X-ray his feet and do whatever else she thinks is necessary so I am sure he's okay before I start riding him. Thanks for sharing your story. 

He's probably sore somewhere.

I've had young horses do that just to p*ss off the farrier. Nothing wrong with them. 

My gelding does that.  Vet checked fine, farrier said he was being a butt head. He also lifts the opposite foot of the one the farrier wants and I can just see the butt head wheels turning.

Good news! I canceled the vet appointment because there is nothing wrong with him! First, I Buted him because I was afraid he was Buted when I bought him because he didn't do that there. I thought, omg, maybe he was Buted! But no. He acted up on the Bute too.

Then I contacted the breeder who it turns out owned him until he was 7. He is 8 now. And guess what? While the breeder had him, he never had a saddle on him or shoes on his feet. Not much handling at all. So my instincts were right! He IS green. I had a feeling but didn't really expect it because he's 8. That is why there were no other signs whatsoever of unsoundness. He's just bad with his feet because he's inexperienced and he's also babyish and now he's in a new place so he was acting up. But he's also very submissive to me already. He follows me around like I'm his mommy so that is a good thing. I'm making good progress with him by being gentle but firm. He hasn't fallen down again and I'm able to clean all four feet carefully and quickly. We'll get there! I am so relieved there is nothing wrong with him and at least now I know what to do. 

Thanks for all your ideas!