Headless horse

[marge]

I have a 10 yr. old horse that wasn't ridden much over a period of 7 yrs. I sent him to be worked with at a trainers for two weeks. This trainer put a bosel type tie down on him and a tom thumb bit. I had ridden him with a snaffle and no tie down, never had any problem with head tossing. She would pull on the reins, he's throw his head up and hit the tie down and then throw his head down. She said he was avoiding the bit. Which he has never done, I think he was avoiding the tie down. There is a way of going here in the usa for western pleasure horses to go along with their heads almost touching the ground. I think it looks dumb, but maybe she was attempting this? Anyhow, he has come back to me and when I ride him and go to turn him, he throws his head down between his front legs and stops. I can't get his head up, no strength really. It seems she's taught him this trick. How do I get him to bring his head back up?

[Wally]

Sounds to me like a reaction to pain. He's frightened to move in case he gets a jab from what you call a tie down. I'd go back to lungeing him get him used to the fact that he's not going to get a wallop in the mouth.
Go back to your snaffle and try to gently play with the reins, left then right softly one after the other, squeezing the fingers to get him to accept the bit and relax. Start turning at walk keep playing with the reins if he puts his head down be soft and let him do it once or twice but ask his head up gently by gentle squeezing. You may find once he has relaxed his jaw and is accepting the bit he might not do it.
Why did you not question the trainers methods? There is a lot to be said in the saying "if it ain't broke don't mend it" It sounds like you had a good horse while in your hands. Have more faith in yourself. You maybe don't need to send your horse to a trainer, you sound as if you could do it yourself.
Good luck.

[marge]

Dear Wally:

Thank you for your confidence. I seem to have lost my confidence in my ability with horses while I was ill for two years. I was taking predisone and it completely wipes out all your strength. I was unable to ride and have developed a fear that I never had before. It makes me sad to feel this way, but when something happens I completely freeze up, I'm sure the horses sense this and take advantage of me. It's sort of a vicious circle. I will work at what you advise. I hope that the equine memory of this past experience with the trainer fades. When I questioned the trainer regarding this method she said that she was doing this because he was evading the bit. I told her it looked more like he was evading the tiedown. She said that she had to use these precautions(?)because she was the one dealing with the horse. Which I don't understand because Charlie never threw his head that he would need a tie down.
Thank you much, Marge

[Wally]

I hounestly don't think they take advantage of your freezing. They pick up on your apprehension. I know it's hard to mask fear and trepidation. But try to become pro active rather than reactive. If a horse senses fear you must become passive, non reactive, just, for want of better analogy, limp and impassive. Try to become indifferent to their fear.

The most impressive display of this was on a course with Magnús Larusson, (the great Icelandic horse trainer) A horse got tangled in long reins and went into a panic. The watching crowd reacted by trying to catch the horse which went completely wild. Thankfully Magnús has a loud enough voice and big enough presence to command a crowd. Every one was to stand still and look at the ground. And I mean COMPLETELY STILL,within seconds of everyone freezing,the the horse came to a standstill and he was able to catch it and de-tangle it. But imagine the temptation to do something. As he says they are 10 times stronger than you, yet they take the slightest cue from you as how to behave.

It is possible to move a horse with a feather, you don't need strength, just empathy, you have shown you have it as you knew your horse was frightened of the tie down.