A reader of my blog contacted me the other day, asking for my advice with a problem she is having with her horse. She wrote that her high-headed well-broke gelding has developed a couple of issues since she started working on collection and lowering his head. She said he did well at first, responding to the pressure, but began eating during rides out in the pasture, and then began to toss his head, and continues to do so whenever she rides him. She asked if there was any way to fix the issue, and wishes she could just go back to how he used to be, high head and all.
I took awhile in answering her, though flattered by her request. I am still unsure that I have the experience to solve this problem. My own horses don’t have perfect headsets, I usually let them choose their own way of going, and don’t bother them about it. But I can certainly see the advantages to having a good headset, and it makes me curious to know if I could successfully train a horse to flex, collect, and ride with finesse. My mare Daisy has lost a lot of her topline muscle, and I know it would help her rebuild that and carry herself more beautifully if we could work on these things together. But I have to confess I am not an expert at this, it is something I have read about and seen others achieve. My experience in training horses usually tapers off at teaching a colt the basics of riding, and getting a horse that is handy with cattle or fun on the trails. That’s it.
So my answer to this reader’s question was a textbook one: check the horse’s mouth for tooth problems or bridle discomfort; try returning to a softer bit, such as a plain ring snaffle and going through the basics of lateral flexion and giving to the rein pressure and see if the head tossing ceases; make certain you are using light hands and a soft “feel” for the horse and release pressure as soon as the horse softens in the poll, giving him a reward of rest and relief when he obeys your cue. I also included an article I found that lists steps to correct a horse that tosses his head. This article explained that lateral and vertical flexion will help the horse relax and learn to carry his head comfortably and naturally.
As I sent off the email to her, the inspiration still tingled inside of me. Could I do this with my own horse? Would it work with Daisy to help soften her and make her more responsive and controllable? And do I have the dedication to spend the time it would take to get the end result? It is the final question that bothers me the most, having three little ones to care for and not a lot of time on my hands. But I’ve made up my mind to outfit Daisy with a snaffle bit and see what we can do. With a quest like this, I may find out a lot about myself as well–could it be my hands are too heavy to keep my horse light in the bit? We’ll see, and I’ll keep you posted.
