Horses head cartridge

[Courtney Mabbott]

I have a 17 year old thoroughbred that I've recently put back into work since November, I am struggling to keep her head down whilst in trot , the more forward she is the more her head rises, could any one recommend any aids or give me tips on how to fix this

 

[Upthecreek]

I have a 17 year old thoroughbred that I've recently put back into work since November, I am struggling to keep her head down whilst in trot , the more forward she is the more her head rises, could any one recommend any aids or give me tips on how to fix this

Slow her down. She is probably raising her head to balance herself as her speed is increasing. Is this happening in the arena and if so is it worse on corners?

 

[Courtney Mabbott]

Slow her down. She is probably raising her head to balance herself as her speed is increasing. Is this happening in the arena and if so is it worse on corners?

I didn't think of this, thank you, when I try slow her down she will just walk, even though there is hardly no pressure on the reins she's only in a loose ring snaffle, maybe it's something to practice and yeah it's more when we turn in the corners but she will still do it on the straight edge in the arena

 

[Cherryblossom]

When you’re trotting, don’t pull the reins to slow her. Instead slow your rising trot and she’ll should naturally slow to meet your rhythm. It’s hard to do initially as you naturally rise to her beat, but it does work.

 

[sbloom]

There are so many subtleties to riding a horse well, a horse lowers its head when it's working correctly, it's a result not something to "do" on its own. Are you having lessons with a good trainer? I would highly recommend looking at Manolo Mendez on Facebook, even if you're not a big reader or into detail (and I completely understand not everyone is!) have a look at the photos, look at the swing across the back, and where the head and neck are carried.

Your horse might need a bodyworker to see it, any crookedness or other discomfort will stop the horse's natural biomechanics from working properly and they will be unable to offer an outline so that's worth checking too.

 

[Birker2020]

What you are looking for is self carriage, put simply this means that a horse should be able to main rhythm and balance with very little effort from the rider or his/her hands.
The horse needs to be comfortable and calm and he needs to be free from tension and able to understand what is required of him.

My first point of call would be a physio to see if the horse is comfortable and if not they may suggest some exercise like stretching or techniques you can use in your riding to help.