Recommendations to promote lower headcarriage

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Kate260881

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My girl's education is about 6 months (she's 5) in now but I'm still having really issues getting her to relax through her poll neck and withers. She has a naturally very high headcarriage when you watch her loose so it is more difficult for her to work long and low. She is working through well from behind and really learning to engage her hindquarters well but this just isn't being matched by the front end. She also really likes you to have a firm contact for her to lean on so I'm really doing a lot of work changing reins (she prefers leaning on the inside rein) and trying to encourage her head down. You cannot try and 'tell' her to get her head down though as you'll just end up with an argument and a giraffe horse... its got to be some kind of coaxing. It is a real achievement if we can get a horizontal neck.

I've been looking at some of the 'gadgets' out there and am really struggling to see if there is anything at all that can help us. I'm not going to use side reins as all she'll do is lean on them and I do not like the pessoa at all. I was thinking of the chambon or de gouge but have no experience in these and am also worried about her panicking with it on. I once attempted side reins between her legs but with just putting it on on the loosest setting she really wasn't happy and I quickly gave that one up. She's the kind of horse that I think if you tried to strap her head down in any way she would panic and hurt herself.

Sorry for the ramble but hope it makes a bit of sense. So any recommendations either of gadgets/equipment or exercises I haven't tried yet greatly appreciated.

Danish pastries for getting this far
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Kate x
 
How about a filet baucher bit (half cheek) that will give slight poll pressure to encourage her to lower her head? Its not too severe and you can get it in the mouth piece she likes, also dressage legal if you wanted to do some dressage?
 
Have you had her back checked? It sounds like every time you get her working over her shoulders she starts to play up, as she is very early into her training she will find it hard to understand what you are trying to get her to do, iam afraid it could just be a case of persaverence. If you get her into trot and keep leg gently on, equal pressure to the reins and quitly fiddle the reins to get the bit moving in her mouth then everytime she goes to fight keep an even pressure (dont pull back just dont give in!) but get your leg on and push her forward into the trot, she then has a choice, keep fighting you or carry herself in a fast trot, 9 times out of 10 she will start to except the bit but maybe only for a few seconds, this is the start and you can go from there.

Sorry bit of a ramble but hope it helps :-)
 
I have found a chambon really useful for my TB mare but I don't know how useful it would be for such a young horse as it might just dump her on her forehand.

What bit do use on her? My friend has a horse who sounds quite similar (minus the tendency to lean) and we switched to a straight bar pelham. The pelham tends to have a head-lowering action and it worked almost immediately although I'm not sure if a straight bar would be suitable for a horse that leans.

Finally, try asking her to work long and low at the end of a session where she might be more willing to stretch. Carry your hands wider and lower and give slightly forward with them to encourage her to take the rein and stretch. Walking over a pole at the same time may help. Its probably easiest to get it in walk, then trot, then gradually ask for the stretch earlier and earlier in the session.
 
my horse is exactly the same in the fact i have real problems getting her head lower, i have tried lots of "gadgets" but i dont really believe any gadget should be used as a quick fix. my horse has a natural high head carraige, but at the same time has lovely flowing paces and is the complete opposite of on the forehand (dont know what you would call that! lol) and i find getting her walking round the school with a long rein (hardly any contact), having my hands as low as possible, down by my knees, usually but not in a restricitve manner, then gently play with the bit, little squeezes on alternate reins, then when she lowers her head, scratch her neck with the inside hand, and use plenty of leg to get her walking freely and into the contact, if at any time she leans, let the reins slip through your fingers and give her a firm nudge with your heel to tell her she cant rely on you for balance and when she leans she will soon learn that theres nothing to lean on if you drop the contact when she does. once you can get her walking with her head as low as possible, ask for trot. now with my mare as soon as we trot, her head shoots back up and she gets all excited again and rushes along. just do exactly the same as you did in walk, hands low and gently squeezing each rein, and try and keep your rising slow and soft and rise as little as possible, once you can get her trotting and walking round with her head as low as she can balance with, even if her nose is nearly touching the ground, she will be learning to stretch over her back and use her back end, as long as you dont let her lean, she wont dive onto the forehand. good luck!
 
She just sounds like a typical baby who is trying to learn her balance with a rider on board. The natural instinct is to lean and go on the forehand. I wouldnt be concerned about trying to get her head into an "outline" the outline should come naturally.

A horse should work with its hock in alignment with the muzzle. So you should be concentrating on getting her to work in a balanced rythm rather than in an outline. Lots of walking up and down hills slowly will teach her to bring her back end underneath her, stretch long and low and lift her back.

she also needs to learn to work with a consistent yet soft contact. If she starts leaning, give and take the contact very slightly and quickly so that she learns that she cant lean.

Really sounds like she just needs time to get her balance. I wouldnt use any gadgets or faff around with a bit. I would use a bit that she is comfortable with and just get on with schooling her. You need exercises to get her moving the back end, not exercises for her to lower her head. And I would try to school out on hacks rather than having long intensive sessions in the school.
 
I think that she is doing well already as she is forward going and still very inexperienced in her work, you don't want to make her work scary and a chore but shoving a load of tack on as she sounds very sensitive and she is still very young.

Mine struggles with the same issues also but i absolutely hate gadgets. Funnily enough I find that a good dressage instructor sorting my posture out does the job pretty well, get someone to check your upper body is slightly behind the verticle and that your shoulders are also well back and your head isn't tipping slightly forwards at all, the slight shift of your body weight backwards encourages many horse to take their weight backwards and they then tend to relax and lower. I always know when I'm not riding Ryan well (which is often!) as he finds it hard to have consistent head carriage in trot.

Can I also just agree with CB Anglo about not doing long intensive sessions, make them short and sweet or school whilst hacking, she sounds like she is already trying her best for you and is trying to sort out her way of going, you may also find long reining is very helpful as well
 
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