How do I stop my horse from raising her head when we go faster?

Question

My horse tends to raise her head high when I ask her to trot etc. I ride her western with a myler barrel bit, curb chain, and training fork. I used to use a tom thumb, but heard they were harsh so I got the new bit. The vet checks her teeth twice a year, and we have ruled out tack fitting issues. She is in good health. The training fork I use seems too long. I have it on the shortest hole. It attaches to her girth. Any suggestions? How long should a training fork be to be effective? My training fork has surgical tubing.

Answer 1

try using a tie-down

Answer 2

I'm not sure that you'll be comfortable with this, but it works for me.....

keep an egg over your horses head when you're riding, then when they raise they're head, the horse wil hit her head and break the egg. this will make them  think that they are bleeding.

i used to have a pony that did exactly this, and after we did this, he immidiately stopped!

good luck

Answer 3

tom thumbs are not harsh!!! and anyways i would try using a tie down to prevent it from raising its head

Answer 4

use a tie down

Answer 5

Great choice on the Bit - I assume you love Mylers as much as I do then?

I suggest not relying on the training fork - it's a substitute for proper training and doesn't fix the problem in the long run.

Here's what I just learned from the recent trainer who's attempting to de-spook my spooky mare:

When a horse is out of it's comfort zone, or excited, it tends to raise it's head - if you can get their heads down in a collected manner they tend to focus more on the task at hand as they have less to look at and raise their anxiety.  I assume if you're using a barrel bit, you barrel race?  Maybe not - but I'll share something else regarding barrels when done with this.

OK - so he proved to me that controlling her head increased my control of her - when she got nervous about anything in the arena, my asking her to lower her head regained 100% of her focus again.  Here's how he did it.  Have you worked with flexion?  Standing in one spot, asking a horse with a quiet soft pull to give you their nose?  Mine will immediately put her nose all the way to my stirrup when I ask her to do this.  Asking to drop the head works the same way.  Be cautious of the cues feeling like asking to back up - when you back up, you request with a backward pull and energy in your body and legs; when you ask to drop the head use no energy in the body or legs.  Simply jiggle or seesaw the big gently in the mouth (standing) until she drops her head the slightest bit, immediately release and praise when she even begins.  Then request again, the start of the head drop should happen faster this time and perhaps go lower - as soon as it begins release and praise immediately.  Continue until in one session she drops her head where you desire it to be - it takes a few sessions - according to my trainer, it took maybe 5 sessions to get her to the point where when he simply picked up the reins she dropped her head and awaited instructions.  As you are riding at the walk then request the trot go back to picking up the reins or jiggling or seesawing gently until the head drops, should come quickly - release and continue trotting.  This is the cue to her that she should drop her head upon and listen to you ' it says "you're not listening to me, you're focusing elsewhere, listen!".

I have learned through the last 7 years that riding a horse doesn't mean getting on and sitting while the horse moves - I'd been raised on them, but never really taught how to communicate with the horse.  I have now learned that one must keep the horse's attention at all times when one has a young horse needing to be controlled or when performing maneuvers (working) - only when a horse is finished and husband-safe (that's safer than kid safe) can one hope to ride down a trail sitting in the saddle along for the ride for even a short amount of time.  This is hard for me to accept because at my age what's been fun all my life is now work - and it should have been the other way around because work now would be natural to me and now viewed as work - it's like I'm learning from scratch how to ride and I am now looking for someone in my area to work with me to develop proper body use and I must start working out to get in proper shape - it really sucks, but it's the best for me and my horse if I wish to continue.

Now - regarding the barrel racing - two things: have you been to an Ed Wright Clinic?  If not, get to one - it's fabulous and worth the money to go even if you can only pay to observe.  One learns so much from "uncle Ed" - he's great.  He works with each participant from their current level and what they need to get to the next level.   The second thing my recent trainer said that made absolute sense was that when people barrel race, they typically enter the arena to run the pattern and work.  The horse equates arena to work so often gives the rider trouble entering the arena - if the rider needs to brush up on any part of the pattern, they should do their work on what they need done, then re-enter the arena to do fun things like pushing a ball around or something the horse will see as fun - even so little as taking the horse back to the arena to dismount, untack, brush and massage - the horse then doesn't equate the arena area to only work if he does pleasant things in it.  This guy's daughter is in little britches rodeo and has done very well due to his knowledge - he's pretty great to work with, I wish he wasn't 2.5 hours away from me.

Good luck with this - try it without the fork - the more you can do without tie down and without artificial aids, the better control you have of your horse - yes, barrel racers often have tie downs and it seems a normal needed piece of tack - it takes longer to train the horse without the aid, but the time is worth the outcome.

Answer 6

my horse used to do this. I put her on draw reins for a few motnhs and that stopped it completely.

Answer 7

Try getting her a standing martingale