Head chucking hopping youngster...

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wallykissmas

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My 5 yr old will more often than not when going forward to trot chuck his head and hop. I had put it down to the fact that prev owner had him in a gag on the bottom ring because apparently he was "strong" and possibly allowed him to trot and would then hit his mouth rather hard when rider/him became unbalanced. Prev owner was 6 months out of a riding school with a 3.5 yr old bulshy cob and had him for a year before admitting he was too much for her.

He isn't strong and listens to my aids to slow at just a long whistle and walllk with a squeeze of the reins.

I'm at a loss of how to stop this head in your face hoping business. He has had back/full body, feet, teeth, saddle from medium to m/w and bit- now in a French link fulmer NS all looked at. I don't hang on his mouth if anything i totally give him his reins and then slowly shorten them. I try my hardest to remain balanced sitting up, looking where we are going, opening reins on corners to guide him and try to be consitant with my leg pressure.

I don't want to strap his head down but he did go better with some bunges on. He also seems to not do it as much if I take up more contact as apposed to giving him the reins to go forward but then I take a contact and he will put his head up hollow and go into canter.

He does it less with a dressage saddle on compared to GP. I've only recently had the gp fitted, made sure it isn't too far forward and tried a wide instead of m/w which made no difference. He doesn't seem to do it on the lunge.

So if anyone has ideas would be great, cream teas and a nice cuppa tea for anyone who's got this far.

He is a fab little lad none of it is done with malice and I just want to make sure he is happy :)
 
If he doesn't do it on the lunge, then it has to be the rider, or perhaps a previous rider. I have one who arrived doing an extreme version of this, especially into canter, as he'd been ridden by some very novicey owners who'd used the reins as safety lines and pulled the poor chap's face off every time he tried to go forward ( I'm NOT saying you are doing this, BTW). Took me a year to convince him he wasn't going to get banged in the gob every time he moved. He's fine now - persevere! Oh, and a french link isn't a particularly "nice" bit and doesn't suit some horses. Try something rubber? Are you lunging with sidereins? I found that a great help with my poor lad.
 
I have a horse on loan who did this a lot, I found out on a hack he would get up some decent momentum and if I had more contact as in 'holding' his head but not tightly in the right place he would become more balanced and start to trot normally (he would not lean where I guess some might). I did also find it very hard to stay balanced myself as his whole body was being thrown.

I had tried just giving him his head as he did not much like contact yet, but it wasn't improving things.

So holding his head gently in the best way you see fit might be the way to go? Maybe a straight rubber bit for schooling this particular exercise might be useful.
 
He seems to prefer the French link to the gag he was in, when I tried him first time he hopped on the spot doing his best knee action he could muster. He doesn't have an overly fleshy tounge. I have a hard type rubber bit but not a soft bendy one ?

He goes forward nicely in walk its just the transition I feel he might be expecting a jab in the mouth and its like almost when I don't do it or hold on to him he gets stroppy with me. If I hold him a bit he doesn't do it as much.

Mandwhy totally agree hard trying to stay balanced myself when his head is in my face and he is doing his bet banana impression.

It's schooling that he needs but I'm trying to find away of getting through to him he can go forward, I'm not going to smack him in the mouth or hang onto him and its not normal for him to want me to do this.
 
Hi, i am new to the forum, but have been reading it for quite some time with great interest. My horse does exaclty what you are describing but he is a schoolmaster warmblood. He did this for several weeks after having his saddle checked and changed, it turned out that his saddle was previously too narrow and had caused some swelling on his wither and shoulder area, not noticable to the naked eye but ws felt by a physio. He was put on 3 weeks rest and vetrofen for the inflammation and came back a different horse, he went lovely in the school afterwards having been a horrible and quite frankly scary ride with head well above natural height and choppy paces which unbalanced the rider and trotting was very difficult because he either trotted on the spot or rushed forwards without warning. He is however 2 months later displayed similar behaviour in the school yesterday so hoping his visit from tex today has solved any resolving pain issues, saddle fitter also coming before i ride again, until then he will be lunged at which he has always been good even when you couldnt ride him! hope you manage to work out his problems, its difficult to decide whereas its pain, stubborness of genuine past issues sometimes!
 
My youngster also started doing it, rather than used his back end to step under into trot her just hauled himself I to trot its a evasion so he not have to work correctly. Easily fixed though well mine was, just made sure he is bent round inside leg and listening and just tickled him into trot almost, but you need to be firm and if he does thd hop , straight back to walk and try again then when he goes transition correct a tickle on his neck with a good boy. Be firm and make sure every single transion is correct be it hacking , schooling etc. he will soon learn, my boy still try's it when being lazy, I say no, bring him back to walk and ask again.
 
My youngster does this. Babies find it harder to trot for prologued time than anything and he does this when he starts to tire. Now just up long hills or toward end of really long hack. He throws his head and canters with one front leg coz he's tired and lazy so I make him trot propely for a bit then walk him to rest a bit and back into trot. He's loads better than he was so seems to be working. I've also had his back done so i'd always eliminate that too.
 
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