# help with head set



## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

You may be able to use a running martingale, but I'm not sure if they work the same.

Does your tack store allow returns of tack merchandise?


----------



## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

Why would you want your mare's head to be down if she is a Tennessee Walker? The breed is known for having a high head set; they are not stock type horses. My friend had a ex show horse gelding who had a extremely high headset and she always wanted to get it down. She had a tie down on him and it did little or nothing to keep his head down. Yeah, he looked like a giraffe but at least it was natural. It didnt even do anything anyways....

Finally, since I was the one putting saddle time on him on the trails, I just asked her if we could take it off. He was happier without it since it wasnt doing any good. Let your mare go how she is, being natural.

A tie down isnt supposed to be used to keep a horse's head down for headset (please correct me if I am wrong) but arent they meant more for balence turning tight corners on barrels and such? JMHO, let your mare be how she is, as a Walker with a high headset


----------



## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

Curly_Horse_CMT said:


> Why would you want your mare's head to be down if she is a Tennessee Walker? The breed is known for having a high head set; they are not stock type horses. My friend had a ex show horse gelding who had a extremely high headset and she always wanted to get it down. She had a tie down on him and it did little or nothing to keep his head down. Yeah, he looked like a giraffe but at least it was natural. It didnt even do anything anyways....
> 
> Finally, since I was the one putting saddle time on him on the trails, I just asked her if we could take it off. He was happier without it since it wasnt doing any good. Let your mare go how she is, being natural.
> 
> A tie down isnt supposed to be used to keep a horse's head down for headset (please correct me if I am wrong) but arent they meant more for balence turning tight corners on barrels and such? JMHO, let your mare be how she is, as a Walker with a high headset


 but she is a tn walker mix mare.she isnt gaited and she is mixed with a quarter horse.i have barrel raced with her and that was part of the reason why i used a tye down on her.it held her head a little lower but i was told it wasnt good for her.so i weaned her off it.she doesnt hold her head up sky high but high enough to annoy me.


----------



## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

Sunny06 said:


> You may be able to use a running martingale, but I'm not sure if they work the same.
> 
> Does your tack store allow returns of tack merchandise?


 i never buy much at my local tack stores because they overprice stuff. i found some for a considerably lower price online.im not fammiliar with a running martingle.


----------



## Curly_Horse_CMT (Jun 8, 2008)

Ok, sorry, I didnt read the post close enough lol Is she good on flexion and does she give to the bit? What kind of bit do you have her in?


----------



## chika1235 (Jan 1, 2009)

Curly_Horse_CMT said:


> Ok, sorry, I didnt read the post close enough lol Is she good on flexion and does she give to the bit? What kind of bit do you have her in?


its o.k. umm. shes o.k. on flexion i only started that with her a little while ago but she will flex both ways but not as far as id like.i used to have her in a tom thumb because that was what the guy i bought her from broke her in.(i know horrible) but now ive got her in a o-ring snaffle.


----------



## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

You don't use gadgets to teach a horse to round their backs, to drop their back ends, to track up and move forward and under themseves - to achieve a "head set" 

You have to learn to ride correctly to get the correct answers. 

Using gadgets of any sort, only mutes the real issues, and when taken away - they re-appear.


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

A gadget will not fix your issues. A tie down, draw rein, training fork, martingale etc will mask problem and cause the horse to use the wrong muscles.


----------



## crimson88 (Aug 29, 2009)

MIEventer said:


> You don't use gadgets to teach a horse to round their backs, to drop their back ends, to track up and move forward and under themseves - to achieve a "head set"
> 
> You have to learn to ride correctly to get the correct answers.
> 
> Using gadgets of any sort, only mutes the real issues, and when taken away - they re-appear.


 
Couldn't have said it better.


----------



## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

*I'm going to copy/paste what I said in a thread similar to this:*


*Before: With incorrect riding *lose rein, eyes down, rocking leg* But the main thing is I was asking for him to push forward BUT he was just going faster because I had a long rein.*
**

*Now: With circle work, another trainer, a more solid seat, contact in my reins I have this.*

**

*To get him to do this I rode on a circle (it really helped), then "opened" my inside rein, kept him round in the body with my inside leg and used the outside leg to keep him together. But the main thing is not speed it is collection. As soon as he brought his head ito that posistion, I realeased with my reins. The video below is my instructor talking us threw it. But honestly it can be discribed over the internet, as it was for me. I tried and failed (his head basically went higher) but having one lesson with an excellent dressage/jumping instructor resulted in the picture below.*

*Thought I'd add that riding comes from the hind-quaters forwards, this is completly true! I was going to use side reins, draw reins, ect. But after one lesson with Aamelia. It would have been a waste of money. We still have a long, long way to go. But correct riding from me, proper training and working with our instructors will get us there and I won't feel like well thats what side reins do I will feel like thats what I did.*

*The part of your post that I put in blue really got my attention, my OTTB was very similar. At the walk he held it low but he didn't "tuck it up" in other words he wasn't moving correctly, reason being. I wasn't riding him correctly. Also, when we trotted his head would just fly up -- similar to how your horse sounds. Partly because he didn't know how to use his back, so to speak. As at the walk unless asked to collect/exstend they are just wandering around. The ex-race horse, as you can see in the picture of my horse below, has been taught to hold their head very high. From what I know this is so the jockey can support themselves on the horses neck if need be.










At the canter he would bring it down, but he was still "la la la laring" all the way around. So once I got him to work he'd HAVE to use his back. A correct horse will only come by correct riding. A "plastic" horse will come by tools.* 





 
*You might get a better idea from reading it here - so you can see what I'm qouting:*

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/high-head-set-44013/#post509478​


----------



## StormyBlues (Dec 31, 2008)

Greatly put!


----------



## Cowgirl140ty (Jan 7, 2010)

I am a trainer... and I use an over the neck martingale on all my young horses. And they are just fine once I take it off. I also use a heavy weight snaffle bit on the ones who want to fight more.... it has taught my horse very well. Now even with the lightest snaffle and no martingale.. her head always stays low. Martingales are training TOOLS... and if used properly.. they will teach the lesson they are suppose to. And then you will not need them anymore.


----------



## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

Cowgirl140ty said:


> I am a trainer... and I use an over the neck martingale on all my young horses. And they are just fine once I take it off. I also use a heavy weight snaffle bit on the ones who want to fight more.... it has taught my horse very well. Now even with the lightest snaffle and no martingale.. her head always stays low. Martingales are training TOOLS... and if used properly.. they will teach the lesson they are suppose to. And then you will not need them anymore.


Yes, they are training tools, but I think alot of the reason people try to discourage others from using them are because they're unsure if the person is experienced/knowledgable to ride in them without screwing up their horse. 

I rode in a running martingale for a WHILE thinking it was helping my horse, turns out I wasted MONTHS using it because she was bracing up against it. Taking it off was the best decision I ever made with her!

OP, it's hard for anyone to tell you what to do or to 'put on' your horse. I don't think many people here are going to say "yeah, strap something on to force your horse's head down!" Your horse is part TWH and they naturally have a high headset, I know you said your horse is also half QH but it could have more TWH characteristics than QH for all we know. A picture of your horse and a picture of your horse undersaddle would be helpful for us to judge if they are naturally carrying their head high, or if they're just evading the bit, etc, etc.


----------

