How can I make my horse "carry his own head" and not pull on the reins while we're cantering ...?!?!?!?!?!?

Question

So I have a 11 year old gelding and his name is Turk or Turkistan... he is an ex-racehorse. When we canter i usually end up carrying his head. He also like kinda locks his jaw or something and pulls on the reins. So I end up having to balance him because if I just let the reins go then he will spook or hop etc. I hate it when he pulls on the reins (i think it's a old racing habit...he hasn't raced in 5 or 6 years) And I really need to get him to stop doing this pulling on the reins thing and I talked to my mom who's an instructor and she said to send him forward... but if send him forward then it gets into a kicking pulling match and it just doesn't work. So if there is any way that I can get him to stop doing this please let me know!!!!

Thanks! :]

P.S. - I'm talking to another instructor about it so I'm just looking for other peoples opinions.

=]

Answer 1

I had the exact same problem with my old school horse, I was constantly carrying his head! I tried changing his bit & spoke to a Myler consultant (info on Mylers here - http://www.toklat.com/Myler/About%20Myle... about the specific problems I was having & bought a new bit for my horse.  It helped for a little while but he'd go back to his old habits quickly so I had one of the top trainers in Australia come out & check him out & she advised me to use a market harborough (info here - http://www.horseproblems.com.au/market_h...  I've left it on the slackest level & never gone up in levels as his an old hack & I don't want to put any strain on him but it basically stops him from being able to pull the reins out of my hands & makes him 'responsible for the weight of his own head'.  It's worked wonders for me & as long as you read up about it & use it correctly then hopefully it'll work wonders for you too.  Eventually you can take it off your horse & won't have to use it anymore as it's just a training aid.

Happy horse riding :)

Answer 2

okay, so i also have an OTTB gelding, and he did the same thing... what i did to fix it was very much like what your mum said.

you need to sit down, drive him foreward, and let go of the reins.   But don't just DROP the reins, ride two strides with full contact, one with none (bring your elbows foreward, don't change the rein length) and then once you can ride 2/1 try to get 3/2 and then 4/3 and then switch to 3/4 and 2/4 and 2/5  etc.  (sorry if thats confusing but its with [contact/without contact]

he will be forced to carry himself since your not always there to hold him up.

NOW on the other hand, i worked on this with one of my students and her OTTB gelding

she had to go into half seat because she couldn't sit and control his canter so half seat was more comfortable for the two of them.. she was also more secure so her horse could go an appropriate speed and she could focus on his pulling, and she couldn't release all her contact, so she would keep her outside contact and release her inside.. this way she was giving all the support he needed/"deserved" and he didn't have anything to just lean on.  in this, she kept her outside rein the same length and brought the inside hand up his neck, near his soldier.

ALSO: if he locks his jaw i would get a flash noseband and work on bending flexion things, so at the walk down the longside ask him to bend in using seat, leg and rein for 4 strides, walk straight for 4 strides and then bend out (the same way) for 4 strides... work on bending out through corners also because it is more difficult.. then once you've mastered it at the walk do the same thing at the trot making sure you stay with his motion, avoiding getting ahead which will be the tendency.. you don't want to rush this, you want him to think and engage.

i wouldn't suggest doing this at the canter since your having other problems with that...

good luck! hope this all helps!

Answer 3

My OTTB does it too. If he is opening his mouth and bracing them you might want to try a flash. I agree with the sending him forward but I do it different from most people. I also have extreme dificulty explaining it as well, so no help there, sorry. You might want to let someone more experienced hop on him and actualy feel what he does (versus explaining it). It always helps me to do this. Good Luck!

Answer 4

I can only say you are so lucky for having an ex race horse! I have been at the track all week end(hit 2 pick 3s) I love horse racing! take care of him and make him very happy!

Answer 5

I have had several exracers and while I generally hate gimmicks and gadgets, the only thing I have found to help is to use a german martingale. It is so much easier and faster for them to understand to give to the bit this way. You still have to have experienced, soft, and forgiving hands for this to work properly.  Much easier to to show you then to try to type it. You have to send him forward, but he also has to soften to the bit. Kind of a push/pull thing. I would work him in it for a few sessions so he understands, before even trying cantering, then just in short increments, and stopping as soon as he gets it right. Most Thoroughbreds are smart and figure out they have a new job pretty quick.

Answer 6

I would lunge him a bit on a martingale. It IS an old racing habit-jockeys allow the horse to run on the bit-tight reins means the horse gets to run, and the horse also leans into the bit.

I've never personally retrained an ex-racer, but I've watched it be done, ridden ex-racers, worked at a track, and also read up on it a bit. Long reins, despite his spooking, will also help-he needs to learn to work from behind and not depend on the bit. Also, as many others have suggested-a flash.

Have fun with him! OTTBs are my favorites. I love their energy and 'zest' =]

Answer 7

i had a QH mare who would fight me tooth an nail all lesson long. i had my reins too tight. i know you said he'll spook if u loosen up, but maybe if you tried to work on the spooking/hopping problem u can get this under control. half-halting him to collect him up may get him to learn to not pull. dressage work or surcingle work will also re-train him to balance on his own. i'm not a big fan of changing bits, but that is another route. is he ok in the walk/trot? if not, work on those too. is it just to the left or is the pulling occuring in both directions? if it's just to the left it would definitely be jsut a racing habit.

Answer 8

pulling thats all i know

Answer 9

see if the head pice is to tight or 2 loose if it is to tight it strains the neck mussles and the y try to relax their neck anad if it is 2 loose they r being lazy and u need 2 b more stern w/ it.