Horse shaking head

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Rocky715

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When out hacking... my horse tends to throw his head around quite violently... (teeth/back/saddle/bridle have all been checked and are fine). It isnt really as though he is trying to pull the reins out my hand... its more of an up and down shaking? He does it on both the roads and the fields. I know he doesnt have any allergies as where our school is positioned it is surrounded by fields and he never does this in the school, even when it is really windy and the pollen content in the air would be higher. Any help would be greatly appreciated, as it is really frustrating when he is doing this. I dont know if it is just a bad habit of his, or whether i can stop it.
 
yeah he is generally well behaved. obviously he has the odd spook here and there. he has become a little nappy lately - do you think it could be related to this?
 
Could it be boredom then? Do you stick to the same route or do you vary? I would try to keep him thinking, ask for changes in pace/collection etc see if that makes a difference. You say he has started to get nappy, has something happened previously to worry him? I know it's considered old fashioned, but try longreining out and about to try and increase his confidence. I think it is really going to be trial and error on you part till you get to the bottom of it! Good luck!
 
we have to go along one road that is the same, then after that we vary it - sometimes we go up the hills, sometimes on a different bridleway etc.. but at some point on each hack he will start to do it. I have only had him since january so i havent cantered him over the grass yet but we have had a trot and he doesnt shake his head whilst trotting. He gets a LITTLE better if i try and make him walk at the front (this is only possible on the way home, he naps on the way out). Once he starts to shake his head if i ask him to collect, cos i am half halting, he shakes it even more?? Obviously it isnt a big big problem but it is a tiny bit unnerving and annoying??
 
ps. in regards to something spooking him - i did fall off him on a hack as he spooked and i came off the shoulder. this did seem to frighten him so i have been riding out with a horse that is a real confidence giver to him since and he seems ok now?
 
it sounds to me he is getting bored coz you say when you ask him to trott it does not shake his head well that is coz you are giving him some thing to think about so when you do walk him keep your leg on and make him walk on and not just plod and see what happens then!
 
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