Horse throwing head around and doing hops

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jo_pearl

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Hi all, I recently had a lesson on my mare and when I took up a contact my mate started throwing her head up and down and doing funny like hops with her front legs. The instructor told me to keep a contact and ride her through it which I did and she did become soft and start working correctly. Today on a way home from a hack she started the nonsense again to the point that when I asked her to trot she was snatching th reins forward and throwing her head around. Heading home then she was throwing her head up and doing those hops again and the only way I stopped her was to send her forward in a very strong trot. She has never done this before and has only recently started doing the hops (she has before throwed her head around when asking for a contact) I don't know whether to try a market harborough as its getting very annoying and there is no need for it.

Thanks in advance :)
 
Yeah all done. It's only when you ask her to go forwards with a contact. She was more that happy galloping across the mountain. But if I ask her to trot with a contact she throws a major tantrum!!!!!
 
I'd be going for second opinions on the back, saddle and teeth if they were all done very recently.

Does she only do it ridden? If so then look at what you are doing and try something different
 
Hello it sounds similar to my boy when his hay fever type allergies flare up this happens as soon as it starts getting a bit warmer. Might be worth considering if you can't fine anything else
 
SOunds to me like she gets her tongue over the bit. Check first of all the width of your bit - needs to be no more than ½" 1cm wider than her mouth. Then check the height of the bit - a nice wrinkle in the corner is ideal.

Depending on the bit itself - easier for the horse to get its tongue over a double jointed bit than a single joint. If the bit is too wide the joint/s drop down low in the mouth and allow the horse to get its tongue over, the same applies if fitted too low.

Not all horses stick their tongues out if the bit is underneath, especially if they have a noseband around the mouth. Its a very painful situation to be in and some horses react quite violently.
 
As someone else has already said, my old loan pony used to do exactly the same thing. His was also due to a pollen allergy.
 
Sounds like a pain issue to me. Maybe poll pain or back problems. Could be saddle, anything. The last thing you should do is force it with a gadget. Personally I would get the vet out to come and see you riding her on a contact and go from there.
 
Hi, she's only just had the checks done but I do have the dentist coming to the yard again soon and she will be checked again. She didn't put a foot wrong when we had a go of clear round jumping and didn't do nothing the whole hack only the last 5 mins. She did do it in my lesson but once I rode her through it worked lovely. She did it yesterday in walk going home but when I trotted her was fine and it was literally the last stretch of road. She has been in season this week so don't know if that would have anything to do with it. I got the vet out in the morning for vaccinations so I will mention the pollen suggestion :) thank you xx
 
The head tossing sounds like an allergy - but combined with the little hops - which sound like mini rears - suggests she is either throwing a major hissy fit at being asked to work in a contact; or something hurts. OP - you know your mare better than we do. Is this sort of hissy fit in her nature? It is for some. It does take muscle development to work correctly into a contact. This means it isn't comfortable if that is not what she is used to. So if she has a bit of an attitude on her she might well just be objecting to you asking her to work this way and hoping you'll go back to the old way. But if this isn't like her then she is saying as loudly as she can that something hurts. You need to look urgently at your bit and her mouth, neck and back as a start point.

We cross posted... The fact you can ride her through it makes it sound more like a behavioural objection than pain. Wise to rule out pain anyway though.
 
Hi thanks for your replies :)

Oh yes she does have attitude! lol

If not asked to work correctly she does not put a foot wrong but if you take up a contact the attitude starts! When I had a lesson with a dressage instructor she told me to keep my leg on as pearl had to accept the leg and hand contact and not avoid it by being a madam!!! lol

I do have other lessons coming up so see if that helps.

Could her being in season also have something to do with it???

She was worse yesterday than ever before and was screaming to one of the geldings in the field by us xx
 
I have seen a couple of horse throw a tantrum when asked to work onto a contact. Both were horses that have previously just allowed to slope along at their own pace before.

Have another lesson; if she settles and works well I would be inclined to make sire she is worked on a contact all the time. Including as soon as you mount. This way hopefully she will forget about not doing so
 
She's not napping as rode her today and she was perfect :)

Yeah she does it when asked to work correctly! I have a lesson on Sunday so hopefully that will iron out some issues!!!!
 
It could be she is not happy with the bit when she's on a contact. You could try changing it. Many horses object to the awful practice of holding a firm contact and keeping the leg on. This is very painful for them until they get 'hardened' to it and submit. Some accept it quietly, others object. Unfortunately this method of getting a horse on the bit is taught by many professionals. It gets results eventually, but not without killing a few nerves in the horse's tongue and bars first. :(
 
She's in a loose school cooper French link atm. I'm going to try a Neue Schele bit. The instructor I have lessons with encourages the horse to move forward and then work into the contact.
 
My ex racer does this, especially out hacking at this time of year. Its what she does when excited/anxious/stressed and she has the ability to totally shut off to me, kind of bounces on the spot with head going all roads. Fortunately doesnt last long and I always send her forward into a trot like you say. It becomes worse if I relax the contact and going downhill. With my mare I know its worse in Spring, with the grass coming in, and she generally doesnt do it in the school.
 
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