# How do i get my horse to back up with his head down?? Please read!



## Fudgelove (Jul 10, 2011)

Hey! Sorry for the CAPS title i usually just dont get good responses haha, but I cant get my horse to back up with his head down! I never tug the reins i just block forward motion and bump lightly a bit with my legs and he backs easily but his head FLIES UP! Any tips would be helpful! I REALLY need ideas!! Thanks!! -Morgan and Fudge


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Hard for me to tell what's going on without seeing you and the horse because what you describe sounds right. It may be that your horse doesn't actually give to any pressure from the bit yet, which has to happens first.

If you add a bit of tension to the right rein does your horse calmly tip his nose to the right? Same with the left rein?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Ok, why do you want his head down? So that his back up is better, right? like so that his feet are lifted and placed back, rather than drug back. So that the horse is actually thinking "back" instead of thinking "escape the bit!"

When you ask for back up use slightly more pressure in one hand than the other, with the goal that the horse will flex to that side just a wee bit. This helps break up the hollowing out reaction that it wants to do when you pull back on the rein.

if she does flex to the inside, give a little bit on that rein as a reward, then, with her flexed, ask for the back up with your seat and with both reins, but the rein that created the bend can be a bit more active.

If you horse throws her head up, you do nothing more , nothing less EXCEPT that you follow the head up with your hands, continueain to ask for the back up and the flexion to one side (flexion in the jaw and poll, not a huge bend in the neck). When the horse has it's head up, you are with it, not rewarding this with a release, but, you are looking for it to make the right choice . . ,.DROP it's head and that's where you will give a little release, then go back to asking for back up. 

Reward for dropping head, ask again for backup. When you get one or two steps backward with horse's head in a normal position, then give a big release and a nice petting.

Whenever your horse raises it's head and you did not ask it to do that, you do NOT counter that by lowering your hand and trying to force it come back down. you maintain contact and follow the horse up, and when it decides to come back down, you give a small reward 'cause it made the right choice.


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## Fudgelove (Jul 10, 2011)

Thanks for the great answer! and ill post a video tomorrow if possible


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I am glad you could understand my rather garbled typing. Lately it has been really sucky.


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## Fudgelove (Jul 10, 2011)

haha no! it made perfect sense!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

The reinback is considered an advanced movement by most of the old classical dressage trainers and is not requested until the horse has developed an ability to move forward and be light on his forehand first. 

Let's think about what a reinback is in terms of forward motion. When you are asking a horse to move forward and off his forehand, you are asking the horse to use his abdominal muscles to raise his back and to raise the root of his neck, stretching his topline and (eventually) arching his neck and tucking his nose. It takes a LOT of time to teach a horse to do this. It requires the horse to be ridden back to front with the "engine" (rear end) driving the horse forward to raise the forehand against your hands.. lightly. 

In the reinback, you need the same forward impulsion with a bit more resistance. You need the same propulsion.. that comes against resistance and so is expressed in stepping backward in a balanced manner (with a lowered head, raised back, raised root of the neck and still light on the forehand)! Until the horse understands forward movement, he cannot possibly try to even back up in a balanced manner. 

So, teach him other things along with forward movement and lightness of the forehand.. teach him the balanced turn on the forehand and the pirouette at the walk (front turn around the hind feet which are stationary). Teach him all you can at the trot and walk and get him round. 

Then ask for the reinback. Start by only asking for a single step. Set the horse up as if for a turn on the forehand. Ask for forward movement and resist with your hands. At first you should flex his neck and raise the root of his neck.. and then you may feel him start to coil as he would taking a step forward. SQUEEZE with your hand and your leg at the same time and release.. like squeezing a sponge. He will eventually take a balanced step back.. at which point you release.. take your leg off him and release with your hands. 

Eventually you will get more than one step.. and if you have done your homework with his forward movement, you will be able to back him around corners with your legs and hands. 

Horses that throw up their heads and hollow their back in the reinback have not been taught how to move forward first. Horses that lower their heads and drag their feet backwards are exhibiting the same lack of training in going forward. Any horse the runs backward is also showing a lack of foundation training in going forward. 

Good luck with this. It takes a lot of time to get a foundation on a horse and remember.. the reinback is a difficult and higher level movement. It is also un-natural for the horse.


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## Fudgelove (Jul 10, 2011)

thanks!!!


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Does your horse go forward with his head down and chin slightly tucked? If he does not, then you need to get this horse to place his head where you want it while going forward. You must have forward impulsion without resistance (as shown by bracing and raising his head) before you can get a balanced stop or a decent back-up.

If you set your hands in one place (as opposed to pulling on his mouth) and you 'let' him have relief when he 'breaks at the poll' and drops his nose/chin and ask him to stop, he should get to the point where he stops without resistance. 

You ask for his head by pushing him forward with your legs and keeping your reins short enough that he has to break at the poll to get relief. 

I DO NOT give a horse any slack if he raises his head. I do not follow his mouth. I keep my hands where they are (when his head is in an acceptable position) and I keep them there -- set very solidly -- and I 'push' him forward with my legs. I make him give himself relief from the rein pressure by breaking at the poll and putting his head in an acceptable position.

When you have developed a horse to the point where he goes forward and stops without bracing and showing resistance, you can simply start asking for 1 or 2 steps back. Use enough rein pressure to keep him from going forward (you 'close' the invisible door in front of him); You use enough leg that he has to go somewhere; You leave the 'door open' behind him and he should take one or two steps back with no resistance. If he raises his head, either you are not keeping your hands where they need to be (like by 'pulling') or you have not gotten good head carriage with forward impulsion and have him ready to back up.

While you don't pull or 'tug' on the reins, you sure cannot have your reins so loose that he has room to throw his head up high. He must have the consequences of running into your hands every single time he throws his head.  That takes the 'pay-off' out of throwing his head up in a position that shows resistance.


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