# Why is my horse putting his head down?



## upnover

Sounds like he's relying on you to keep his head up. Instead of having self carriage, he's expecting you to "hold" him every step of the way. Because he's not balanced he'll trip at the canter. The difference between a "feel" on a horse's mouth and a "constant pull" can be a tough thing to figure out. he might need some training to learn to carry himself better as well.


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## DuffyDuck

I agree with upnover, he may have also learnt to pull his reins through your hands, and now evades the contact because you can't pull him back up, so to speak.

Firstly, however, as this is a horse in training, I would suggest getting his teeth checked, back checked, and saddle checked. He may be in discomfort, and pulling his head down and evading the contact is elevating the problem for him.

If you get these checked and its non of the above, it means somewhere your training has failed somewhere. You need to take him to more basics, more transitions, make them clean. You can't fight a horse's head and neck. 

Make sure you aren't fixing your hands on the reins, and if he does drag you down, sit back, sit deep and sit tight, ask him to work more from the behind. My old horse used to do this, and he learnt if he did, he'd get a boot in the side, and within a week it was resolved.

Good Luck!


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## sarahkgamble

Thanks for your input guys!

His teeth were just done this summer, so I know he's fine there. He's been riding in the same saddle and everything since I got him and he's just now starting to act up. I do remember that he used to try to put his head down, and I corrected it, but now it's starting again, but worse.

As for his transitions, they're good. They are what we've mainly been working on and he's come from running around the ring a couple of times before breaking into the canter, to picking it up right when I ask. I really feel like it's mostly just him trying to get away with something because he's still pretty young. A girl at my barn has a horse his age and said he did the same sort of stuff Shamrock does. Her suggestion was to bump up the reins, but there's no use in fighting him for it, it'll just make us both agitated and worn out.

If he needs to learn to carry himself better, what are some good exercises for doing that?


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## DuffyDuck

sarahkgamble said:


> His teeth were just done this summer, so I know he's fine there. He's been riding in the same saddle and everything since I got him and he's just now starting to act up. I do remember that he used to try to put his head down, and I corrected it, but now it's starting again, but worse.
> 
> As for his transitions, they're good. They are what we've mainly been working on and he's come from running around the ring a couple of times before breaking into the canter, to picking it up right when I ask. I really feel like it's mostly just him trying to get away with something because he's still pretty young. A girl at my barn has a horse his age and said he did the same sort of stuff Shamrock does. Her suggestion was to bump up the reins, but there's no use in fighting him for it, it'll just make us both agitated and worn out.
> 
> If he needs to learn to carry himself better, what are some good exercises for doing that?


That first part, you've said it yourself. You've had him over four months or so, so I would get it checked. I keep an eye on my saddle A LOT. If it goes wrong, your horse starts acting up and you can do some damage to their back muscles. Please get it checked! Might just need some reflocking, or it might be touching his withers.. get the saddle, and his back, checked to make sure. He's a young horse, so with work, he is going to develop.

I would get this done before thinking about any excercises to get him working from behind... when you have, ask me again


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## sarahkgamble

The only problem I see with that is, I've never heard of anyone around here who checks saddle fit or a horse chiropractor. :/


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## DuffyDuck

Ask your vet to do it, any vet worth their salt can have a look at your horses back, and go to a local tack shop for a saddler, they will likely have numbers for you.

It is really important, and if a saddle is too tight or touches the withers, the horse will drag his head down to get away from the bumping....


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## sarahkgamble

I'm not a fan of the only local equine vet. And our only "local" tack shop is 45 minutes away so that doesn't do me any good. :/ We're very deprived of basics where I live. But because of that, my trainer is very knowledgeable in all things horse, so maybe I can get her to check it. My only other option is to do it myself.


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## DuffyDuck

Get your trainer to have a look, my vet travels an hour, and my saddler 1h15.. if you're paying them, they'll come.

I'm really sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh, and circumstances are different for everyone, but this is basic care for a horse, to ensure his teeth, back and saddle are in working, correctly fitting condition. This, otherwise, becomes bad, and dangerous for the health of the horse and the rider.

Can you not phone your tack shop?


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## sarahkgamble

I will get her to have a look the next time I go out.

Oh no, you don't sound harsh. You just know that him putting his head down may be due to his saddle not fitting right or his back being sore. I definitely want to have many years with him and to keep him healthy so we don't unexpectedly have huge vet bills due to something that could be prevented. His teeth are fine, though, like I said they just got floated. 

I can try them, but I've really never heard of any saddlers anywhere around here. Maybe they'll surprise me.


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## DuffyDuck

Really do try! 
And ask your trainer, she might be able to give you a better idea, if the horse does is all of a sudden, I would check the saddle and back first rather than blame it on naughty behaviour, but if it is naughty behaviour, you need to snap him out of it sharpish.. lots of transitions, which will help with square halts, backwards, lunging and changing the speed of the gait within the gait will help him work properly. Get someone on the ground to watch too


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## Saddlebag

The next time his head starts dropping release one rein and brace your other hand against the front of the saddle. The pressure will be on one side of his mouth. If he starts turning, let him as he may think that's what he's supposed to do. When his head comes up pick up your other rein and when he tries again, repeat the exercise. Changing reins is ok. He won't learn after a few tries so stick with it and we'll hope he gets tired of running into the bit. If that doesn't work shorten the one rein and force him into a tight circle. When he stops and his head is up, reward him with lots of rein so he can straighten out. Again, many repetitions. He'll come to realize he's working a lot harder with the tight circles than by evading the bit.


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## sarahkgamble

DuffyDuck - I will try to find professionals to check him & ask my trainer if she can offer some advice on what she thinks.  Thanks for your suggestions!

Saddlebag - When you say to drop one rein & brace the saddle with the other hand, do you mean brace the saddle with the hand that has the rein in it or the hand without the rein? I'm a little confused with that wording. And I'll work on it. Last time he did this, he snapped out of it relatively quickly, so hopefully he'll do it again.


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## knickerb

Sarahkgamble,

I think the principle "saddlebag" recommends is hold pressure on your horses mouth until he raises his head. To help you hold pressure with the rein in your hand that you are holding pressure on his mouth with free the other to brace yourself against the saddle. The instant his head comes up release the pressure, gather up both reins and continue.

If your horse starts to stretch out his head and you tighten up on the rein but release some of the pressure while he is still pulling on it he is learning to push his head forward to get pressure release.

As a side note I never let my horses eat or grab grass while I am mounted. Eating on the trail is only when I am dismounted and permission given.

Hope this helps,

Ben


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## sarahkgamble

knickerb said:


> Sarahkgamble,
> 
> I think the principle "saddlebag" recommends is hold pressure on your horses mouth until he raises his head. To help you hold pressure with the rein in your hand that you are holding pressure on his mouth with free the other to brace yourself against the saddle. The instant his head comes up release the pressure, gather up both reins and continue.
> 
> If your horse starts to stretch out his head and you tighten up on the rein but release some of the pressure while he is still pulling on it he is learning to push his head forward to get pressure release.
> 
> As a side note I never let my horses eat or grab grass while I am mounted. Eating on the trail is only when I am dismounted and permission given.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> 
> Ben


Thanks for the clarification!


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## sarahkgamble

Alright, so I was out at the barn yesterday and we had such a good ride!

He started off wanting to put his head down, but I've found that if I just keep firm contact on his mouth (not pulling on him, fighting him for his head, or loosening the reins), he'll put his head back up, and then I immediately soften and praise him. It seemed to work pretty well. When we took breaks between exercises, I let him on a loose rein so he could stretch his neck and then collected the reins back when we started again. 

He did very good. Besides keeping his head up, we're working on getting him more on his hind end & carrying himself better. We did circles in every corner and the walk and trot with serpentines down the long sides of the arena at the walk/trot. Then we did an exercise where we walk, halt, back up, then trot off for ten strides and bring him back down and do it all over again. We also did trotting poles so that he will learn to carry himself properly. He did very good with all of the exercises! We threw in some cantering here & there, he did his transitions well. Then I rewarded him by taking him out of the ring and walking and trotting around the barn yard. He was a very good boy!


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