Switchthehorse
Well-Known Member
I was wondering if anyone had any tips on preventing your horse getting his/her head between their front legs? Sounds a random question I know! I have posted on here before about my broncing mare and my numerous accidents(!) but a brief summary again...
My (just turned) 6yo ID/WB is a big chunky girl at 17.2ish. My biggest problem with her is broncing... she only does it in certain situations and hadnt done it for ages until yesterday. I went with a friend to try jumping a few logs (we havent quite got jumping nailed yet so they were tiny) and my friend was giving me a lead over them... cue D getting thoroughly overexcited throwing herself over the jump, trying to charge after the lead horse and then all of a sudden going from pretty much flat out to a stop, head down literally on floor and then bronc bronc buck bronc bronc etc I managed to get her head up and she stopped, heavens knows how i stayed on as i remember banging one of my feet on the top of the saddle as I came 'down' from a great height at one point!
She has done it before - first hunt (lasted 100 yards), getting over excited jumping (broke elbow) and on sponsored rides when someone is going away from her. I have decided it is either separation anxiety or overexcitement and basically her throwing her toys out of the pram if i decide she isnt allowed to go at the speed or in the direction she wants to.
She has been checked (numerous times) by the vet, physio, dentist, she has a custom made saddle which is checked monthly so all pain/physical probs have been ruled out.
Sorry this is going on a bit, but I figured if she couldnt get her head down so low she couldnt do it.. you cant pre-empt it - it comes completely out of the blue and with her big ID neck you need the strength of Geoff Capes to stop it going down. Someone suggested a daisy rein horse size but i dont want to prevent her stretching over fences, someone else suggested a Gag of some type.. i ride her in a lozenge KK training snaffle at the moment so its ultra gentle.. anyway i was wondering if any one had had this problem and over come it? Will she just grow out of it? What can I do when it happens so intermittently and i cant recreate it if i try!?
Its B*ggering things up a bit at the moment as i would love to get her out and about to more sponsored rides, hunting etc but falling off pretty much everytime isnt much fun and at 33 i dont bounce as much as i used to!
Secretly i am just hoping after staying on the last couple of times she will know its no use and she will give up but in the meantime happy to try any other suggestions!
Sorry for the essay and thanks in advance!
My (just turned) 6yo ID/WB is a big chunky girl at 17.2ish. My biggest problem with her is broncing... she only does it in certain situations and hadnt done it for ages until yesterday. I went with a friend to try jumping a few logs (we havent quite got jumping nailed yet so they were tiny) and my friend was giving me a lead over them... cue D getting thoroughly overexcited throwing herself over the jump, trying to charge after the lead horse and then all of a sudden going from pretty much flat out to a stop, head down literally on floor and then bronc bronc buck bronc bronc etc I managed to get her head up and she stopped, heavens knows how i stayed on as i remember banging one of my feet on the top of the saddle as I came 'down' from a great height at one point!
She has done it before - first hunt (lasted 100 yards), getting over excited jumping (broke elbow) and on sponsored rides when someone is going away from her. I have decided it is either separation anxiety or overexcitement and basically her throwing her toys out of the pram if i decide she isnt allowed to go at the speed or in the direction she wants to.
She has been checked (numerous times) by the vet, physio, dentist, she has a custom made saddle which is checked monthly so all pain/physical probs have been ruled out.
Sorry this is going on a bit, but I figured if she couldnt get her head down so low she couldnt do it.. you cant pre-empt it - it comes completely out of the blue and with her big ID neck you need the strength of Geoff Capes to stop it going down. Someone suggested a daisy rein horse size but i dont want to prevent her stretching over fences, someone else suggested a Gag of some type.. i ride her in a lozenge KK training snaffle at the moment so its ultra gentle.. anyway i was wondering if any one had had this problem and over come it? Will she just grow out of it? What can I do when it happens so intermittently and i cant recreate it if i try!?
Its B*ggering things up a bit at the moment as i would love to get her out and about to more sponsored rides, hunting etc but falling off pretty much everytime isnt much fun and at 33 i dont bounce as much as i used to!
Secretly i am just hoping after staying on the last couple of times she will know its no use and she will give up but in the meantime happy to try any other suggestions!
Sorry for the essay and thanks in advance!
Haven't fallen off him yet but he's a big pony though compared to how small I am, so I struggle sometimes to hang on! All I can do really is sit up and lean back slightly, grab the pommel or neckstrap and hold on, I also send him forwards with my legs and if he's really pratting about I tap him on the shoulder with a crop. As soon as she starts broncing, send her on and use your voice to tell her to go. Do you ride with a neckstrap? Good to hang onto when they start broncing! And it might be worth trying a waterford mouthpiece as then she can't get the bit between her teeth and pull so much! 
I think after he learned that I could stay on and that I wasn't having any of that (I used to 'tell him off' with a growly voice and sending him forwards) he sort of gave up, he only used to do it out of excitment or like I said when I rode him bareback, and now he only does it every once in a while