Help with headset?

Question

recently i have been having problems getting my horses headset because my trainer tells me to do so many different things......first he wants them to be short...than he wants me to leave some slack.....then its the sea saw method back and forth...sometimes he wants me to ride with them up above the horses neck and then he wants them down near the pommel of my english saddle...sometimes he wants my arms at my sides and sometimes he wants my elbows out and its making me and my horse very confused.....im not new to riding but have been riding for a few years and am now confused about the best way to get a headset....please any suggestions would help alot....i just want to know the correct way!!!

Answer 1

The first thing you have to ask yourself, is what kind of headset your horse should have. For instance, if you have an arab, it would be very different than if you have a quarter horse. Start to ask for the headset in a snaffle, push your horse up with your legs and holding your outside rein steady, gently sponge your inside rein. Every time you horse gives, even if it's head is not set how you want it, release.

Answer 2

Unless it is a young, unschooled horse, then you should just keep your hands in the normal place, just above the withers with your elbows at your sides... The moving around of the hands, as he is telling you to do, is to encourage the horse to drop its head, and tuck it in, giving it a good self carriage, but if it is a stable horse then it should already be able to do this, as you could be doing more harm than good by listening to him.

Answer 3

Have you thought about switching to a different trainer?  I don't blame either you or the horse for being confused....has the trainer attampted to explain why all the different methods?

Collection is the basis for developing a headset....you don't even mention how you are proceding with that.  If you aren't learning that, You may need to reconsider the trainer you are working with.

Answer 4

You already have good answers.  Let me add this.

Fire your trainer he's playing with you.  Get one that is consistant and considers what you are doing and explains it to you.  If you stick with this guy he'll ruin your horse then blame it on you.  He walks away with your money and you keep the problem he caused.

Answer 5

I would fire your present instructor and hire Hanna G. (NOT KIDDING!)  This person is full of solid, no nonsense help and I would do everything that I could do to make further contact with her (even if it's only via the internet) and follow her suggestions...It's a good thing that I read her answer before I started mine, it would have appeared that I copied and pasted her answer..what she says is so true, and if you follow what she is telling you, you will have a headset that is part of your horse, one that he has adopted naturally as a result of truly being collected...I love the way that Hanna described how you squeeze the impulsion up through the horse's body and catch it with your hands...what a succinctly perfect way to describe the action that you are wanting to accomplish, not the other way around of bring back the face and attempting to mold it into an artificial frame that you have created and that the horse will not, nor cannot maintain on his own without constantly "cheating" in a class.  If I had something better to offer, I would, but she said enough to get you started in the right direction...I surely wouldn't want to see you incorporate her methods into what your present instructor is trying to accomplish, that will do nothing but confuse you and your horse further...simply follow Hanna's instructions and you will be amazed at the results..maybe she will let you take a few lessons via email.

Answer 6

A proper headset is going to come from pushing you horse forward with your leg into the bridle and "catching" him with your hand. I would try setting your hands in the normal positions - elbows bent, but soft, with a line from your elbow to the bit. Keep your reins long enough that you can follow his movement freely, but short enough that when you "whoa" your elbows do not go behind you. Start walking on a large circle. Squeeze your horse forward with your leg like he was a giant tube of toothpaste. As you are doing this, gently massage your inside rein back over your inside thigh. Make sure your outside rein does not move - otherwise he will pop his outside shoulder off the bend and not carry himself properly. As soon as he softens and bends to the inside, give back the rein. The entire time, keep pushing him forward. He will want to trot, but sit deep and do not let him. The inside leg will keep the bend and propel forward while the outside leg will keep the shoulder and hip from popping off the bend. Keep doing this at a walk both directions, then work into the trot. Be patient, if he is really fighting you, you can spread your hands wider apart (like you are making a triangle with your reins and you). Don' lift them up though, keep them wide and low if needed. Good luck!

Answer 7

Well first off i would tell your trainer to pick one method. I bet that horse is confused.

I would say a good method would be keeping the reigns loose. Not to loose.

Like this

http://www.mercymeranch.com/Lori%20on%20...

But when riding have your arms forward and out a little more.

Like this

http://www.pleasurehorse.com/showResults...