How to ride a horse with a high head carriage?

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moneypit1

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I have a 4 yo just backed Friesian x tb who has a natural high self carriage. I have not really come across this before and wondered if there is anything I should know with regards to this and "hallowing" because of his conformation. Here is a pic with a livery riding him out last week (2 weeks after backing). Note the self carriage.
leavingyard.jpg

thankies xx
 
I rode a horse that really carried itself and my instructor told me to ride it very lightly, and don't try to pick up a full contact, to keep nice soft hands.

Sorry, doesn't explain it well
blush.gif
 
Yeah I agree with that. One of my instructors however, insists on a contact and outline from day one which I am not happy with. Harry is very forward going and moves off the leg beautifully so at the moment i do not use the bit hardly at all. Just wondered if this was correct? My gut instinct is to leave him alone for a while. x
 
He is gorgeous!

Fresians have a naturally high heat carriage. There is a Friesian x TB at my yard who has the typical friesian head carriage.

As per Gina b really. Its important to be 'sensitive' to him which from the photo, looks like you have it cracked.
 
he is super, and like my kwpn driving nag, they are super light easy to train and will relax and stretch their backs when you start training for real. I love them, the canter work is really uphill.
 
I would think it would come down a bit once he is more established and using himself. At Your Horse Carl Hester dressage demo they had a big WB and he was saying that with that type of horse (high head carriage upright type paces, very showy and built for passage) you can't get the long and low you'd normally start with because it is the total opposite of their natural way of going so you have to work with what you've got and aim for that later on.
 
Whatever you do, DON'T try to ride him like at TB. Accept his own natural carriage and don't try to alter it.
There was an article about this in a magazine somewhere, maybe it was something to do with Heather Moffet. You could also try contacting people who ride Iberian horses, the Spanish and Portuguese breeds, and even Arabs, because they are the same.

The trouble is in the UK that many people/and some instructors have only ever dealt with TB/TBx/Warmbloods and want every horse to conform to what they know.
 
I agree with orange horse. That is exactly what Carl Hester was saying - it is pointless trying to push a square peg into a round hole sort of thing. He said you can get them to let go a stretch eventually but shouldn't push for it. They may not be great at that type of work but they excel at the high school movements. No brainer really considering that's what they were bred for! Made a lot of sense to me.
 
I have CB's and Shagya Arabs. Shagya's are driven in harness. Both breeds have high head carriage and look lovely. Remember Black Beauty and the bearing rein? 100 years ago horses who worked in harness were expected to carry their heads high - it was the fashion.

As you have been advised gentle light contact and patience will encourage him to bring his head down. Actually he doesn't carry himself as high as mine. He is very nice.
 
If he's 4 and has not been long since he was backed, plus the type of horse that he is, then its perfectly normal.

Young horses eventually lower their carriage with age and experience, they will drop into a comfortable postion when they build up muscle and work less on the forehand but I would make sure that you ride with a good contact (note contact, not a pretty looking outline) unless you have a good contact, you wont have control, and this is something you most certainly do need with a young green horse, the more they relax with the work and surroundings they will eventually take more of a hold of the bit and hold there own a bit more. As long as they are going forwards and listing to your aids, thats all I'd worry about.
 
I rode a 4yo fresian who had a really high head carriage. I used to ride him with my stirrups about 2 holes higher than normal, as he'd sometimes "concertina" his neck, which is quite disconcerting for your balance!!! I used to call him bannana boy, as he was so wiggly and wobbly - he's going a lot more consistently now.
 
when riding a high head carriage horse (my fave)

sit nice and deep on the back of your seat keeping even weight through your legs (imagine it going down the back of your legs)

since you dont need to set his head for him ride as you are with a light contact on the reins, give his 'rein space' to elongate and use your seat to drive through him to your hands to encourage natural head carriage.

just keep a deep seat and light hands
 
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