English horse head set?

Question

My paitn horse will not set his head anymore. I will squees left right left right but he wont keep his head set. Is there any other way to teach him to set his head without tieing his head down??? any one WHO ACUALLY RIDES HORSES AND KNOWS WHAT TO DO CAN ANSWER, I dont want someone who has never even been near a horse to answer because they might give me an answer that could harm my horse

Answer 1

I'm guessing you want the typical long and low headset?

try a training fork, they really work wonders to remind your horse to set his head they give you a little more leverage, so you life up on your rein slightly to ask your horse to lower his head and go into a frame.

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Answer 2

If he just recently stopped setting his head he might just need a reminder now and then. When you ask him to set his head squeeze a little more with your legs and drive him. That should keep him from slowing down.

Answer 3

If he used to hold a head set but won't anymore, I would check for signs of pain first. Check your saddle fit. Is his back sore? Is he out of shape? Did you recently change his bit?

Remember to check this stuff before you continue with his training. Horses can't tell us they hurt, so they tell us in different ways.  

Answer 4

I am assuming you ride some form on english, dressage maybe? It may be different with western tack, however, what I do is bring the reins lower and farther apart.  

Let me try to explain:

First, you try light squeezes left right left right, if nothing bring the reins lower on the neck and closer to your body.  Try again, still nothing spread the reins apart so that your hands are about 2 ft apart.  Even if you need to bring the reins almost below the neck of the horse.

Also try to move up into a trot, sometimes the rhythm and speed makes it easier to move into it.

Answer 5

Start from the ground. Get a rope halter if you don't alread have one (you don't really HAVE to have it but it helps) place one hand on his pole and have the other on the lead like just a few inches down from his chin wigle the lead line just a little and put a little presure on his pole and increas the preser on each untill he drops his head. Once you get him doing this with just a tiney bit of pressure thne but the bridle and from the ground grap the rains just like you would if you were riding and just sea saw a little you can get a little harsher if he does not listed but don't be to rough. keep doing this untill he will put his head down with just a little wigle of you fingers. Then get back in the saddle and try again

Answer 6

You are going for long and low instead of the up on the bit look I assume.

Make sure you are riding with your legs and seat before you start asking him to drop his head and put his nose in. He needs to be moving, not poking around the ring. Make him look like he is going somewhere. Then seperate your hands (about 2 feet like previous comment said) and drop them so they are about parelle to his withers. Keep the energy up and start alternating squeezing. Make sure your rein is not so tight that he physicaly cant lower his head.  

I hate draw reins. They go under my list of things that could really harm a horse. I only see them used by inexperience people which leads me to believe to good riders/pros have a better way of doing things. Draw reins can really s***w up a headset by teaching them to get behind the bit. It also doesnt encourage them to move from their hind end.

You might also want to look into the pessoa training aid. it might help some. I have heard nothing but great things about it (when used by experienced people) and my absolute favorite hunter trainer uses it with some of his A and AA circut horses.

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Answer 7

Check his teeth.  If he has sharp points on his back molars, he will be unwilling to flex at the poll and set his head. The action of flexing causes the muscles in the jaw to bulge slightly, which will press into the sharp points on the inside of his mouth. Very painful!  So, check his teeth before you go to draw reins or a tie-down.

Answer 8

I know you said, you didn't want to tie down his head.  But have you tried draw reins, you control them and can ac an and take as needed with them.  You would ride the same way with squeezing left and right.   As he starts to set his head give, by give i mean loosen the reins, and if he stops setting his head take, tighten the rein back.  The loosen and tighten is very minimal.

Answer 9

Work on lots of flexion. Work on a 20m circle at a trot. Flex to the inside one full way aound, don't let him fall in (takes a lot of leg). Flex to the outside nest, without the circle getting bigger (again, lots of leg). Next, keep his head centered in front of his chest so it doesn't move to either side all the way around ( harder than it sounds on a circle). You migh want to sit the trot for these circles. After that, go large and let him stretch out and post a nice relaxed trot around the ring. Then try again. Don't overschool it. Everytime you turn, apply steady pressure with the outside rein and leg as well as the inside rein, so you don't just pull his front end around a turn, this will make all your work go backwards.

One thing Iike to do to teach a headset (this comes from using a western headstall, but i will adapt it for those who don't have one):

Take your horse out to lunge with his bridle on, bring a halter and two soft cotton leads.

Set the reins up like normal,

put the halter on over the bridle,

then take the soft cotton lead ropes and clip them to either bit ring.

bring the leads back, between the horse's front legs,

and then up either side so they tie above the withers (hope this makes sense),

only tight enough apply slight pressure to bring the horse's head in a little more.

This is like a cheap version of a cavesson. I have only used it with a headstall and long westen reins, but I can't see why this wouldn't work. This should train the muscles in your horse's neck and get him used to moving in a new way. You can SLOWLY bring it a little tighter as he adjusts.

Good luck, headsets can take time.