Help/Advice - head in the air

[fisher1]

Hello.... i have recently bought a new horse, he is lovely and has regained my confidence in so many ways but......

Every now and then he decides he doesn't want to do something sticks his head up in the air and runs off and i can't stop him or turn him! he doesn't go far but its becoming a little annoying. I recently had his back done just to make sure everything was ok there and it was a little tight but should be ok now.

I currently ride him in a myler port, as his previous owner used to, but i think he may be trying to evade this..... any ideas what else i could try him in? He is really strong so don't want to over 'bit' him.

 

[Miss L Toe]

Hello.... i have recently bought a new horse, he is lovely and has regained my confidence in so many ways but......

Every now and then he decides he doesn't want to do something sticks his head up in the air and runs off and i can't stop him or turn him! he doesn't go far but its becoming a little annoying. I recently had his back done just to make sure everything was ok there and it was a little tight but should be ok now.

I currently ride him in a myler port, as his previous owner used to, but i think he may be trying to evade this..... any ideas what else i could try him in? He is really strong so don't want to over 'bit' him.

I don't understand the last bit , if he is so strong, I would think you don't want to underbit him.
Anyway, I think you need to get an experienced instructor to come and give you a few lessons , they should identify any of the more obvious issues. you don't say age type or background, in a young horse the need is for working long and low, to build muscles in all the right places.
I like to do a lot of long reining with any horse, as this soon identifies any deficit in training, Not sure why he is in a ported bit, is the mouth unusual? I have a Myler which I use when my horse is reasonably fit, and needs further schooling, before that i use a Neu Schule starter bit which has a lozenge, and a nice mouth fitting contour.
Obviously you need a dental check.
Does he have any issues when being led in hand which also indicates his lack of confidence in his own body space, try walking over poles, through grids, and narrow tracks of poles, also rubber mats in arena and progress to tarpaulins when he shows no sort of scary behaviours, he should be relaxed at all times when doing exercises he has done before, otherwise you have rushed him through them, proceed very slowly if he is rushing or hesitant, he is not being difficult, he has issues which you need to help him overcome, you need to build his confidence and this may take a long time.
You may find a running martingale helpful in the short term, not too tight though.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

So he's new to you, but generally a safe horse that you have confidence in and when he rushes off, he comes back to you after a 'blip' ?
First off, I'd get his teeth done and have a look at the size and shape of his mouth and tongue. Then work out what makes him run. Is it because he has a wobbly moment or is it because he's being rude ? Does this only happen when hacking or is he unpredicable in the school, (assuming he feels comfortable working in there) ?
My approach, with a genuine horse is to start at the bottom of the bitting scale rather than increasing it and work from there. How about a simple snaffle with a lozenge, not too thin.
Practice downward transitions in the school using your seat and see if he responds to voice aids if it helps. Then when he throws his head up and starts to run, keep your hands soft and stay relaxed, slow your seat, whisper down the reins and wait for him to come back to you. Give him nothing to pull against, but indicate with your body that you expect him to chill out and slow down.
For really exciting moments, be practiced in the one rein stop by schooling when he's calm and listening.
I think, as you feel confident with this horse and describe his behaviour as annoying rather than confidence- sapping, my feeling is that, with a quiet, consistent approach, he'll gain confidence in you and his new surroundings, learn what is acceptable to you and know that when he feels unsure, you are keeping him safe.
The other thing I'd say, is to ride, ride and ride. Never let him know whether he's going out for a 2 mile ride or an 8 mile ride, whether its going to be all trot or all walk, canter or no canter. If he thinks he may have to conserve energy for a long or demanding ride, he'll be less likely to mess about.