TB with high held head! helppp...?

Question

i got my 5 yr. TB a month ago, i was told his teeth were bad which was the reason he was holding his head so high. I got his teeth done 2 weeks ago and his head has gotten a little better...but not as much as i would like. I put a martingale on him but he thinks he cannot move.lol. He holds his head better when we are jumping then at the trot...i have no idea how to fix this problem....any suggestions? Please and Thank youu!!

Answer 1

you didn't say what kind of martingale you're using, but i doubt its just going to FIX the problem.. if its a standing, STOP using it, its not going to help and its a danger, especially jumping (a horse needs to use its head to balance, so over jumps and if he trips he is dangerous if he can't move his head-i would never, ever put a standing martingale on a TB that wasn't dead broke and lazy..)

if its a running martingale then you can keep it on, but like i said its not going to just fix the problem, and if he feels restrained with it on it could easily make his high-headedness much worse.

anyways..

its a matter of getting him to relax-something that isn't too easy for TB!  work on long and low relaxing trot circles, and work on getting him to continue working without you pulling on him all the time.. If he was ever race trained then the harder you pull, the faster he goes and the higher his head will be. (trust me, i know its scary if hes the fast type, but if you keep yourself together i garentee he wont run away with you)

at the walk, go in a nice 20 meter circle.  take your outside contact, enough to feel his mouth, but without pulling on him.  then do the same with your inside.  once you have a nice walk going, start straightening your inside elbow to allow slack in the rein, do this for 3 strides, and then take back the contact for 3 strides.  Work on this untill your comfortable only having contact ocaisonally.  Once you have him working nicely and relaxed at the walk, pick up a somewhat slow (but still foreward moving) trot. (remember to keep yourself stong, comfortable, and together if you fall apart he will too)  Work on the same thing, Maintaining outside contact, and dropping (releaseing) inside contact for a few strides every few strides.

eventually he will relax, and his head will drop.. this is also the first step towards collection which is also something that will help overall with your TB.

also-he still might not be used to having nice comfortable teeth so it will all come with time!

good luck!

EDIT: saddle fit might also cause it, but if its better jumping then i wouldn't suspect it.  Check it anyways, horses change shape all the time so its never a bad idea to check (i check mine every month)

Answer 2

Just use draw reins and flex his head right and left at the trot to keep him engaged

Answer 3

well john lyons has the best system for this its called give to the bit and drop your head what you do is get a full cheak snaffle bit I user a argintene snaffle because the full cheek has long pointy ends and Ithink they are dangerous so I set the snaffle up so the reains and the head stall connect to the center ring on the bit so it works just like the full cheek now you  can start by standing on the ground beside your horse pick up on the rein on that side and begin to pull on the rein with your hand by the saddle horn look at your horses eye when you see him start looking lik he is noticing do not apply more pressure just keep it on him when he turns his head to you and he has to put slack in the rein he can not be leaning on the bit he has to actully put slack in the reins then release pet him and praise him now when you practice this watch the top of his head you will notice the elevation drops so practice this over and over pick up he puts slackand flexes at the poll then go to the other side and practice this and when you get it then get on him and practice always use one rein because he is lazy and they all are he wiil begin to just flex at the poll and when he dose if you release his head will get lower and lower you can use the same method to raise his head it is in the release  a lot of times a horse will raise his head becaus that is where you are giving him slack and that is all he wants is a little slack  now if you do not think you can jump him with out slack you are wrong the best riders  jump bare back blind folded over a four foot jump bridleless in a jumping shoot

I hope this helped have a great day and remember God loves you

Answer 4

All you have to do is continue using the martigale and it will continue to improve.. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

My suggestion is to get a breast collar and get draw reins. This will help your horse start collecting. Another training aid is a stretchy aid. I don't know the exact name, but they go over the poll of the horse with the bridle, down the side, through the bit, and to the girth. Both aids have the same goal, lower heads, and get the horse into a frame. Good luck, and have fun! :D

Answer 6

work on collecting and rounding, use a standing martingale (i hate running martingales), and maybe check your saddle fit?  

my mare used to rear and sometimes flip. as a last ditch effort, i switched saddles. she never did it again. then she started bucking... switched again, and now she doesn't buck or rear.

it might've fit when you bought it, but horses change shape. i know mine does.

Answer 7

well,f when the martingale is on him,and he thinks he cant move,y dont u try to lunge him with the martingale on him,but first bfor u lunge him,lead him around a bit,so he knows the martingale isnt bad

my best friend had the same problem,except her horse didnt rein well,but now that horse is so good,she has her days but she has made tons of improvement