Head tossing paticularly on the way home

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Jimbobcob

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Hi, I've had my cob now for just a few weeks. When we tried him he was very calm both in the school and out on a hack. My daughter rode him first and then I rode him too. He didn't head toss at all. As soon as we bought him and took him home he has head tossed a lot. He seems to do it when impatient and also on the way home on a hack. he doesn't head toss in the stable or out in the field or when turned out in the sand paddock. I don't therefore think it is an allergy related behaviour.

Anyone have any ideas as to what to do. It's a quite pronounced up and down movement. They did have a very tight martingale on him and we have taken it off as I don't think clamping his head down is the right thing. Any ideas or any one had experience of similar behaviour?

I've just tried a Miklem Bridle on him and daughter said he tossed his head more out on a hack tonight.

At a loss as to what to do now.
 
The last time I had this issue it was back related - particularly if it occurs toward the end of the hack - think of the head tossing as a relief behaviour. Try riding in the school for a similar time in the same way as you do on a hack and see if it is repeated.
 
It is likely to be impatience if only doing it on the way home. It may also be making the rider tense particularly when he is a new horse to you and you may be holding his head too tightly without realising it. Try to relax your hands and push him forward. Give him something else to think about rather than going home. Maybe some leg yielding. However it is always a good idea to have his back and saddle checked to rule out pain.
 
Jimbobcob said:
Hi, I've had my cob now for just a few weeks. When we tried him he was very calm both in the school and out on a hack. My daughter rode him first and then I rode him too. He didn't head toss at all. As soon as we bought him and took him home he has head tossed a lot. He seems to do it when impatient and also on the way home on a hack. he doesn't head toss in the stable or out in the field or when turned out in the sand paddock. I don't therefore think it is an allergy related behaviour.

Anyone have any ideas as to what to do. It's a quite pronounced up and down movement. They did have a very tight martingale on him and we have taken it off as I don't think clamping his head down is the right thing. Any ideas or any one had experience of similar behaviour?

I've just tried a Miklem Bridle on him and daughter said he tossed his head more out on a hack tonight.

At a loss as to what to do now.
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The may have used the tight martingale to hide the head tossing when you tried him, so now it is off he can so it, you will probably need to run through everything to see what helps, teeth, vet check, physio, saddle fit, bit changes etc.
Sometimes it is feed related or caused by stress so moving may have brought it on, it is unlikely to be fixed quickly if it is established behaviour but should be improved once you have checked through everything
 
be positive said:
The may have used the tight martingale to hide the head tossing when you tried him, so now it is off he can so it, you will probably need to run through everything to see what helps, teeth, vet check, physio, saddle fit, bit changes etc.
Sometimes it is feed related or caused by stress so moving may have brought it on, it is unlikely to be fixed quickly if it is established behaviour but should be improved once you have checked through everything
Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for that. Within a week of him arriving I had his teeth done, a balance saddle fitted and he had a McTimoney assessment and treatment the following week. he is on really basic feed, except he's on haylage but it is the dry type whilst I wait to move yards again and then he'll be on hay.

He tends to do it when he's a bit stressed, i.e. we're not moving quick enough for his liking, we're stood still and he wants to go, he's on the way back etc.

We made sure his bit was the same so bought him a hanging cheek snaffle but got a sweet iron with lozenge.

I guess I'm surprised really as when we tried him he didn't even pull against the martingale he was just v calm. Daughter has found him quite spooky on a hack but then she rides out with a hypersensitive TB ROR!
 
Hopefully it will just be him settling in, feeling a bit stressed and learning a new routine, sceptical me thinks tight martingale replacing draw reins, hard work before you went, withholding water or calmers given, if he is a nice boy he will probably soon relax and realise he has landed on his feet in a caring home.
 
How old is he? My youngster can toss his head when he's getting tired ( especially on the way home ) or if he's working properly in the school. Once he is fitter it stops.
 
indie1282 said:
How old is he? My youngster can toss his head when he's getting tired ( especially on the way home ) or if he's working properly in the school. Once he is fitter it stops.
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I have had this with a youngster in the past but head tossing towards the end of a ride can also be a sign that the browband or other tack doesn't quite fit. A bit like a pair of shoes which becomes more uncomfortab le the longer you wear them.
 
My mare showed similar behaviour to what you've described when I first got her, head tossing and jogging when out on hacks especially when asked to stand still or on the way home. I had taken her (not tightly fitted) martingale off to fit stoppers on it, and at one point she actually managed to smack me in the face with her head.
I put her martingale back on out hacking (again, not particularly tightly), had her teeth done, give her a longer length of rein in the way back home and most importantly relaxed on her, and it has disappeared. I honestly think it was her picking up on my own tension and being unsettled herself
 
Thanks everybody, He's 11 by the way and doesn't toss his head if in active work in the school, mainly if standing still or just walking in the school for a long time. I am taking some 'ride with your mind' lessons and there is a lot of walking and asking him to fine tune the aids and I think he's used to being got on and got going, then stop and put away. I'm going to try with the Miklem bridle as it is supposed to be a comfort fit and I think that atropa might be right about relaxing and giving a longer length of rein on the way home. I'm not sure what else I can do.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I have had this with a youngster in the past but head tossing towards the end of a ride can also be a sign that the browband or other tack doesn't quite fit. A bit like a pair of shoes which becomes more uncomfortab le the longer you wear them.
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Yes Ill fitting tack can also be the problem. I check everything tack wise regularly so in my horses case that was not the issue. Op should of course rule out incorrect tack and the usual teeth etc...
 
My mare does this, again similar to your OP, not in the arena. Works in a lovely outline. I've had the pleasure of owning her for 13 years now, and she's always done it. She also does it, when I turn out and bring in, it's just her impatience. I'm sure she's saying ' for god sakes woman hurry up'

My daughters horse did it the other week, I thought he was copying my mare, but it turned out the bridle was pinching him behind his ear. We've changed the bridle, and he's happy as ole Larry.
 
A nose band that is too tight can often create this too because they can't get the relaxation in their Jaw the tension travels down the rest of the body.
Having said that I have one that occasionally does a "l'oreal elvive" advert hair toss just for the fun of it.

I would continue to let him settle in rather than pin him down in a martingale again (which it sounds like you aren't inclined to do anyway) I have heard that some people have used fluffy nose bands to give them something else to look at - I've never tried or tested that myself, just something I read once.
 
a horse at our yard did this a lot. checked for pain/tack, all ok.
we put a nose net on her bridle, which helped a little when hacking through fields which made us think allergies as well as learnt behaviour. she also just wasnt used to a contact/being asked to do things properly, so yeah, relax the hands, try not to give into the shaking. praise and give rein if he does a few steps on a contact without shaking :)
 
If not due to ill fitting tack I find the Shires flexi rein attachments very helpful with my youngster who can get a bit 'pully' on the way home! They help to eliminate pulling, jogging, leaning on the bit, head tossing, snatching at the reins and relieves tenseness - and they do work!
 
Really appreciate all the kind replies with ideas and experiences. We are moving to our permanent yard in 2 weeks and they have great facilities and quieter hacking so hopefully he can get settled. There's only going to be 7 horses stabled at the yard and so it will be quieter. I will be trying a nosenet soon anyhow as his nose has obviously been very burnt in the past with previous owner and is now scarred and bald. He'll need it covering up and so maybe that will help too with the headshaking. he's generally a bit funny around his head and hates creams with a vengeance! We can only see how it goes and hopefully he'll chill and just forget about doing it!! Fingers crossed anyway!!!!!!
 
Lots of good suggestions here. I'd first rule out head tossing as expression of discomfort from a soundness/back/tack issue aggravated by longer time under saddle (ie a hack), then consider fitness as it could be a way of him telling you he's out of petrol. And it might be a stress response caused by either of the above or just his being unsettled by new owners/routine/surroundings/expectations. Lots of avenues to explore.

I would just add that a correctly fitting martingale is not going to 'clamp/pin his head down'. A running martingale is a very useful piece of kit that (correctly fitted) will only come into play when needed. It also provides a handy neckstrap to grab if needs be. For these reasons (it won't fix the head shaking), I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss wearing one. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon.
 
This sounds similar to one of mine who doesn't do it very extremely and will only ever do it on the way home from a hack, she only does it if she becomes tense or tired through her neck as she is very forward and even more so on hack, she will only ever spook when she is doing this. Putting her on a long rein always helps but it has taken a fair time to condition her to walk the last part of the hack on a long rein, she will cross the a14 flyovers on long rein. This is on a pony who trains at elementary/medium who is fit and well in every way so it is definitely not a pain reaction in her.
 
I have a lovely, well schooled gelding with manners to burn on the ground and in pretty much every situation but and it's a big BUT, when we are about 20 minutes from home he starts to head toss. He's not unfit, he's ridden correctly and sympathetically and his tack fits. His teeth are fine as is his back. Frankly, he's just a bit of an annoying git and it's the only thing I'd change in him. After two years of trying everything I can think of, I accept (to some degree) it's just his personality. I do use a properly fitted running martingale (I value my front teeth!) I do give him a bloody good kick and tell him to get on with it, I do use lateral work (when safe) to give him something else to think about. Interestingly, once he is 5 minutes from home, he'll march out for England in a beautiful outline and stops messing about. He's never bucked, reared, spun or done anything nasty, he just wants to get home and in the great scheme of things, it's no big deal and well, I've got my quirks too. TBH i just think some horses are like this. If anyone can give me a solution, then I'm happy to try it but as long as we get home safely, I'm happy to cope with it.
 
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