# Turns Head Toward Outside



## sarahkgamble (Nov 7, 2011)

My horse likes to turn his nose to the outside when riding. It's been something we're working on. He does it mostly at the trot and canter. To correct him I've been applying leg pressure on the inside to get him on the rail, while tightening the left rein. I've also tried leg pressure, dropping my left hip, and opening the left rein and all sorts of different combinations of those things to get him to turn his head back in, but none of it seems to be working exceptionally well.

Do you guys have any suggestions on what to do to fix this?


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Is he just turning his head out or dropping his shoulder to the inside?


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## sarahkgamble (Nov 7, 2011)

mls said:


> Is he just turning his head out or dropping his shoulder to the inside?


I believe he's just turning his head out, I haven't noticed him dropping his shoulder.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

If you ride in a snaffle, I would start by asking him to flex to the inside by putting a bit of a feel on the inside rein. YOu can vibrate the rein a little with your hand, but don't do a bit "on and off, on and off" type motion. IF the horse braces against you, the lift the rein more straight up and almost directly over the mane line, put a more solid feel on it . Sit up straighter and put the inside leg on. Keep up these aids until the horse really bends to the inside, and steps to the outside a little bit.

If the horse is ignoring the aid to flex his jaw to the inside, you will need to ask for a bigger bend and go all the way down to where you are asking him to drift his shoulder outward. So, you get a bit more dramatic about the big bend, lift inside shoulder and drift outward.

ONce you have this, then you back down to just asking for inside flexion with inside rein and leg. you might have to get big to be small

Also, and perhaps more importantly, work on having him flex on the ground, at the walk and at just standing with you on his back.


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

I was just working on this in my lesson on Saturday. Inside leg to keep him outside and open your inside rein, close your hand, and release ONLY when he gives to the bit.

also, while riding, change direction often- almost coaxing this behavior. Make him go in a tight circle and dont stop the circle until he gives to the bit, then right back to the fence and keep riding. 

If you do this everytime, they give up pretty quickly. It only took an hour for my boy to get it that I wasnt going to give up. We have other head issues we're working on now as well. 
Good luck!


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## sarahkgamble (Nov 7, 2011)

I will most definitely try your suggestions! Thanks for your input guys!


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

If you have tried using inside leg pressure, he is not responding because he is just 'blowing off' your leg -- ignoring it -- not obeying it. 

First, I would work him off of the rail. Horses learn little on the rail. You teach them in a field or in the center of the ring or anywhere else and then carry the lessons learned to the rail. 

I would start with very basic 'leg yielding' exercises. Do several serpentines, one right after the other and make each loop broaden out with as much inside leg as it takes to get him to move over WITHOUT USING YOUR OUTSIDE REIN TO MOVE HIM OUT. 

When you can do nice serpentines with a good bend the entire loop, teach him to spiral a circle out from a small one out to a bigger one with nothing to broaden it out other than your inside leg. If he will obey your leg to do this, then you go to the rail.

When I do go to the rail, I ride a horse very deep into the corners making sure the horse bends his entire body as well as keeps his nose to the inside. Then, when I am going along the rail that is farthest from the gate and the barn, I will do a half circle at the end of the long side (about 10 meters across) and then leg yield back to the rail -- trying to stay as parallel to the rail as I can.


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