Very happy it clicked with him!
I used the pressure point system (My teacher called it "heeding") with a rescue we just got in. MAN she would plow right over you if you try and lead her. Within a couple minutes she was walking and stopping without any pressure at all and was respecting the pace (walk/halt).
The idea is that there is a pressure line running horizontal on the horse's wither. Any pressure from infront of that line will send a horse moving backward. Any pressure behind that line will send a horse moving forward. When you add pressure from behind the line, the horse is compelled to move forward.
When the horse sees you as the leader and sees how you can use their own natural pressures to move them around, they follow in your steps (walk, they walk. Jog, they trot. Stop, they halt).
I always stay at the shoulder. You are safest around the horse at the shoulder. A horse may kick, and he can't get you. A horse may strike, but he can't strike sideways. The horse might rear, but he can't rear ontop of you. The horse may try and bite, but you are in the area where you can deflect the bite rather easily. The shoulder area is just about in line with theinvisible horizontal line that runs across the withers, and makes it easier to direct the horses that way.
Good job for working through this! Training is rather simple when you speak the horse's language, and he understands what you're saying.
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music