lucky7
Well-Known Member
My 6yr old welsh D has always done a bit of head shaking - well its more of throwing his head up alot but only whilst being ridden. I have wathed him in the field and he never does it, i have left him with his bridle on and again never does it only whilst being ridden. He has been in work off and on and had periods of rest for up to 6 months due to my pregnancies. He has been in full work now since around march time. He has had wolf teeth removed a few years back,last had his teeth done around 9 months ago but is due again in 3 weeks, (but stll head shaked after teeth where done last time) he is ridden in a neue schule team up bit with a lozenge and has a cavesson noseband , his bridle fits correctly and is not pinching him etc. His saddle is always checked by a qualified saddler, he is due to be checked again next week. He has always been sound, (apart from when he has a foot abcess) he wears front shoes and is shod regular, he is forward going but can be spooky and sharp. His head tossing is worse some days then other days he wont really do it much, he mainly does it when hes out hacking, sometimes he will do it in the school for the first 25 mins then when he settles he goes lovely and really stretchy reaching for the contact and feels amazing. When he is having a head shaking session he is tight, tense, choppy and will sometimes over bend and go behind the contact then violently throw his head up several times. I have tried him on a loose rein and a firm contact and it makes no difference. I have tried pushing him on everytime he does it but makes no difference. Last night took him for a pootle around the block and after 5 mins he just kept doing it, even managing to pull the reins out my hands.
The last thing i want to do is strap him down with a standing martingale, not sure if this is habit now, training issue or just a thing he does when hes stressy and not concentrating or whether its pain related? I was having lessons around 18 months ago and trainer told me to push him on when he did it, the trainer is a much stronger rider than myself so when he started it with him my trainer pushed him on and it seemed to work. Its a horrible thing and annoying and just want to get to the bottom of whats causing it!
Ideas please?
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...ossing-when-ridden-stress#ZZCQtHGPgvGBsVwG.99
Interesting update! He has had this last week off due to me being very busy. Anyway i rode him last night, the weather was overcast and it had been raining all day. Went out with a friend for an hour and did some cantering across fields and he didnt headshake once. Then i thought back to the last time he went beautifully in the school, it was over cast and rainy and again no head shaking. I think this could be weather related. Not monitored him over winter as he had most of it off. Not seen him do it in the field but thinking it maybe worth trying a nose net? Opinions please!
The last thing i want to do is strap him down with a standing martingale, not sure if this is habit now, training issue or just a thing he does when hes stressy and not concentrating or whether its pain related? I was having lessons around 18 months ago and trainer told me to push him on when he did it, the trainer is a much stronger rider than myself so when he started it with him my trainer pushed him on and it seemed to work. Its a horrible thing and annoying and just want to get to the bottom of whats causing it!
Ideas please?
Read more at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...ossing-when-ridden-stress#ZZCQtHGPgvGBsVwG.99
Interesting update! He has had this last week off due to me being very busy. Anyway i rode him last night, the weather was overcast and it had been raining all day. Went out with a friend for an hour and did some cantering across fields and he didnt headshake once. Then i thought back to the last time he went beautifully in the school, it was over cast and rainy and again no head shaking. I think this could be weather related. Not monitored him over winter as he had most of it off. Not seen him do it in the field but thinking it maybe worth trying a nose net? Opinions please!