Raising Her Head

[myEllie]

I own a nice little fifteen year old Thoroughbred mare. She is wonderful although a bit of a nutter (I had to lunge her for fortyfive minutes before I got on today). Anyway, she goes around with a nice level head set while I am riding her, but when I stop, like in line up at horse shows, she raises her head. I don't know how I could get her to lower her head while standing still. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[Piaffe]

I don't mean to sound funny, but forty five minutes on the lunge?? I was under the impression that you shouldn't lunge a horse for more than 20-30 mins at the most!!

By raising her head when you stop after riding, she is obviously trying to get some rein and possibly take the pressure off her mouth. I would allow her to stretch out on a regular basis - do some schooling on a long rein from time to time to give her a break.

Does it really matter that she doesn't stand 'on the bit'? If you are just in the line up, this is a good time to let her 'relax' after doing her bit, or waiting to do her bit.

Sorry if I've misunderstood what you mean!!

[myEllie]

I had to lunge her for fortyfive minutes because she had far too much energy. She hadn't been out of her stall for more than fifteen minutes in two days because the fields are horribly muddy and slippery will all of the rain and melting snow that I couldn't turn her out. She is very high strung to begin with, and after being cooped up, she just needed to run and buck and just have fun, and I certainly didn't want to be on her when she did it.

I do allow her to stretch her neck out while riding, but my main problem is in horse shows. When we are in line up, she raises her head up really high. Case in point, last horse show we were at in November, we were in line up standing next to a nearly seventeen hand horse, and my little girl's head was higher than his. It just doesn' look attractive and judges do take off for it.

[Bebe]

I know a lot of people who lunge for a long time before they ride, most of them have little or no turnout for their horses. I don't have a problem with it really but most people don't seem to realise that by doing this on a regular basis they are getting the horse more and more fit, which just exacerbates the problem. A much easier solution is to take the horse for a walk each day that they have to be kept in, in a bridle if needs be (on Sunday it took 2 of us to handwalk my mare, she was very stressed after moving yards and had been kept in on no turnout for 2 weeks prior to that). Handgrazing is another option.

As for the headset (which is all it will be) is if you need it that much, could you do some clicker training or other reward based training method to teach her to put her head down on a certain cue. I know John Lyons or Monty Roberts have a method for teaching this. You'd need to research the actual method itself as I don't know enough about it to give you the technique but it would be worth a go.

Also, could the high head be a result of your mare being nervous or worried? If she gets stressed at shows having to stand still may be a bit more than she can take and that's why she raises her head. If this is the case taking her to more shows without the actual pressure of showing her could help.

Amanda

[myEllie]

If I would walk her to get out that excess energy, I would be walking for days. She normally has turnout, but I did not want to risk her slipping in the field. She was turned out each day that she was in for fifteen minutes a day in the round pen, but it really wasn't enough for her to burn off any steam.

My friend has done John Lyons training with her horse and has mentioned something about a head down cue, so I will talk to her about that. She doesn't really get nervous at shows. She has been going to them so often, that it doesn't really bother her, she is just curious and wants to look around at everything and everyone.

[horsey_chick]

What i would do is use a tie down if she is raising her head too much. It'll prevent her from pulling so hard and it'll save your hands the rope burns from the reins. If she has nvr used a tie down before what i would suggestis just using some baling twine, that way if she freaks out, and starts bucking or whatever, then the twine will break. Also see how she reacts to tie downs before getting straight on her, otherwise she may buck you off if she's noot use to it!:eek: It's not very likely at all for a horse to do buck or anything, but still, with horse, anything is possible!

[Wally]

You ride Western don't you?

A tie down will not work, if she goes in the right outline ridden and only raises her head at halt.

[Sue Watson]

What on earth is a 'tie down' - it sounds positively mediaeval. I would strongly advise against anything that uses force to get you horse's head to stay in position.

[cvb]

Try this one before you go into a ring in case you get a weird reaction !

Just move your hand slightly up the horses neck - not so far that it looks weird to the judge - along the top. Then just gentle massage the muscle either side with finger and thumb.

You will often find it helps a horse to relax and they will drop their heads.

The warning was because if your horse is a bit sore in the neck, this is one sure way to find out !

I have heard of western riders using this to cue their horses to drop their heads in front of a trail obstacle. So you can imagine its not far up the neck or a very big movement. The touch should also reasure the horse.

By the way there is another good massage point further up the neck. You know where you get that odd kink in the neck if your horse is not flexing correctly ? Above approx the fourth vertebrae I think but along the top of the neck not where the vertebrae really are.

This one was taught me by a dressage rider to help a short necked little gymkhana pony drop, relax and lengthen her neck. And again most horses seem to like it. I do mean massage not pinch, as I know there are pressure points around as well !

However massaging this one might be a bit too obvious in a ring, and you need your horse not to decide that you leaning forward means "go fast now" .

[Showjumper]

Doing Clouded Leopard TTouches along the withers and base of the neck will relax the horse, and if you give her a longer rein, she might drop her head and stretch a bit.

If standing with her head high is what she's always done, it will take a lot of time, patience, and persistance to encourage her not to do it, or at least, not to keep it too high.

[Aly]

I pressume the words "tie down" is a western term, and in English terms it would refer to a standing martingale, which use is compulsory in sports such as polo.

[Equitating]

A NH fellow in our area (western by the way) instructs all his classes to teach their horses to drop their heads on command. He doesn't like voice commands, but I do, so I am working with my mare to do this both by touch and command. It was originally meant to be an aid to put on the bridle/halter but I want it also as an aid just to lower her head when she "goes on alert" on trail rides.

To start, cup your hand (as if you were holding a bird) and lightly! apply pressure to the poll. I say "head down" for my voice command but you could use any word. Praise and pet for the correct reaction. Gradually you can move the hand placement down the neck to the wither, the goal being to touch in front of or on the wither and get the head drop. We are up to about the middle of the neck and she obeys the voice command most of the time.....

[myEllie]

I will try some of those massages.
A tie down is pretty much the western equivelant of a standing martingale. I don't really want to use anything like that as they are only short term solutions and I don't see how a martingale would help our problem anyway.