Help!! Headstrong horse that wont bridle!!!?

Question

Hes 11 years old, gelded and a quarter horse breed, hes got a sweet nature, and saddles fairly well, but wen i got to bridle him he swings his head and moves back and forth, and i end up hiting his teeth which is not good!!!! PLease i tried the molassis thing it didnt work, but if u have any tip that envolve grain or and easy solution( which is not likely) it would be great thanx

Answer 1

maybe its possible your horse doesnt quite feel comfortable with you yet. make him or her see you mean no harm. ggive him an apple from time to time  pur your hand in his pen and let him come to you so you can stroke him. dont just push down on his head and  make him feel forced. let him get to know you

Answer 2

There is no simple solution.  Sorry.  But this not-quite-as-simple-as-you-would-like solution will work better in the long run.  Hold the bridle up near his head with one hand, and put your other hand on his poll (if you can reach).  He will probably dance around and throw his head up.  Dont try to put the bit in his mouth, just wait until he quits moving and relaxes.  Then take the bridle away, pet him, and try again.  This time, wait until he quits moving, relaxes, and lowers his head just a tiny bit.  Stop and praise.  Do it again.  You want to get it so that when you put the bridle near his face, he doesn't move, just sits there with his head at a normal level.  Then take the bridle away and do groundwork for the remainder of the session.  Remind him the next day before you start riding.  If, when you try to put the bit in his mouth, he dances and throws his head, repeat the exercise.  Good luck!

Answer 3

we have a horse like that @ my barn.What we do is put the bridle on first with no bit.Then put the bit in.It always works 4 him

Answer 4

you have o go back to the basics

get him in a round pen or a place where you have his FULL attention and put your hand on his poll/top of his head/inbetween his ears and push down he should give to your pressure and as you say it say "DOWN" nice and clear but don't yell IMMEDIEtly remove pressure once he move his head down

soon all you have to say is DOWN and he'll lower his head just for you!

once you get the "DOWN" established get the bridle back and try bridleing him if he still refuses just try rubbing his face with it or maybe get try a different one in a different color he could just be scared of the one you have cuz it bashed his teeth

good luck!

Answer 5

Please check my source.  I'm sure it will help you.  Check it out.  If it doesn't help, then I'm sorry.  I must be stupid.  Check it.

Answer 6

Back to bitting basics with this horse...snaffle bit and a kind pair of hands...also you'll want to get his teeth checked by your vet to make sure that nothing is "clanging" against his wolf teeth, if he still has them, and his front molars...do you have a bit seat in them...your vet will know what I'm making reference to if you don't have a bit seat....important on older horses and all horses really.    

If your horse is moving back and forth and trying to evade your hands when you try to bridle him he's pretty nervous about something....so, I'd check his teeth first.  And, also look around his ears and in them to make sure he hasn't any bug bites or no see'ums bothering him...sore ears.

Answer 7

You need to teach your horse to lower his head just by putting pressure on his poll, this trick takes a few days for the horse to understand what you are asking for and respond consistently. Start by holding your hand on top of his head between his ears, if he reacts to just the placement of your hand, do not put any downward pressure until he will stand quietly while your hand is there. When you have achieved this slowly start applying downward pressure until he gives to the pressure and lowers his head, even it its just an inch....totally release your hand and give him a pat on the neck, continue this process exactly the same every time and he will start giving you more of his head and start to want to lower his neck. at this point where he is responding to pressure start to re-enforce with a treat and lots of praise...soon after about a week all you will need to do is place your hand on his poll and he will lower his head all the way down..........now the important part is once he has given you this trust you need to proceed gently and just start inserting your fingers into his mouth and you can even use a soft cotton leadrope, make into a loop the length of your bridle and hold your hand in the right position on his poll, let the loop of the leadrope fall below his lips  supporting the leadrope as if it were a bit and raise your hand by his poll while inserting your thumb and place the leadrope into his mouth as it were a bit .......a few reasons for this is it is soft and will not frighten him or bring back bad memories of the bit banging him in the teeth. let him chew and spit out the leadrope until he is comfortable and accepting, once you feel he is very comfortable try a snaffle bit and make sure you have his mouth open enough to gently slide it in and dont bang his teeth. with practice and patience you will overcome this. dont ever force him or he will just resist.