hmmm.... strange

I had a really great ride today. Jubilee was responding so well and moving off my leg amazingly. I'm so proud of her. I do have a question though, because I noticed something weird that she does and I'm not sure what it is. I was working her in a large circle (a little more than 20 m), at a walk in both directions, getting her to bend and move off my leg. Nearly everytime, when I was traveling right, and we'd approach a certain point of the circle, she'd tilt her head sideways, to the left. Not in an aggressive way, she would just turn her head. Whenever she'd do this, I would give and release with the outside rein and apply inside leg to get her moving. This seemed to help. Was she trying to balance herself? This is her more difficult side. But it was just at the walk. The ground was a bit wet (I only walked her because of this) so maybe she was being careful with her steps. Otherwise she was being really good. I just found it kind of weird. Was she evading me? Being silly? I was working her long and low, with really light contact. I hardly used my reins at all -- just my seat and legs.

Any ideas? Thanks!

That's great that you had a good ride! I'm not sure why she would be turning her head though, maybe she's looking at something.

hi there, i love it when i have a good ride but when something strange happens it just confuses my day... now im not a horse expert but maby when she was turning she was stretching her neck, because when they urn they lean on the side and she could have got uncomfortable, so she might just of needed a stretch, im not sure...!

My mare does this. With her case, its because she gets stuck in certain places in her neck that makes the correct shape of a bend difficult.
In your case, it could be an evasion, but most likely she's doing that to avoid something going on in her neck.
Did you mean that when she tilts her head her ears go left, or her nose?
If her ears drop to the left, then you need to gently hold the left rein, and when you use your right rein you will lift it straight upwards and sort of make an "earthquake" in the reins to make that place she wants to go not so inviting.
If she tilts her head to where her nose goes left, and ears to the right, same thing but opposite sides. Hold the right, up with the left. When she tries to fix herself dont throw the reins at her and release everything, just quietly let her be and push her with your leg to ride her towards the bridle.
Before you get on you can hold the bridge of her nose and rock her head back and forth to see if you can get her to give in the area where her neck joins the cheek bone.

The area in red is where you need to see the flexion. It is not a flexion that the horse's neck gets more curved, the flexion will go right or left. So as you ask for right bend, that area will be flexed along with the rest of the neck. Make sense? The horse can bend its neck in other places without truly bending in that particular spot, which is where you get the annoying head tilt. :)
You can stand at her head, on the left, and take the left rein and bend her head left. If the area in red doesn't look like it "bulges" out and away from you, she is not bending there. Tough thing to fix over the computer, but can be helped by just being aware of what's causing it. :)

Koomy, thanks so much!! That makes a lot of sense!

I don't think it's evasion because she was being completely responsive otherwise, and she wasn't being aggressive by tilting her head.

Sorry for not explaining better ... she tilts her nose to the left. So lift up the left rein and make an earthquake.... so give it a shake right? And hold the right rein steady? When you said push with my leg, which leg? Lol.... sorry.

^ So will working on a left / outside bend help with this?

Thanks again!

I believe it is still an evasion in a sort. Evasions come in all colors, really. My mare is as willing as the day is long, and I've never seen her be sassy, but she does this to get away from something in her neck. So it's an evasion from what is uncomfortable, but not an evasion of working. :)
The earthquake comes from just your fingers. Somebody watching you would hardly notice the quiver in the reins, but your horse will feel it.
So gently hold your right rein, lift the left a little and squeeze with both legs, but perhaps the left a smidge more to encourage her to bend her whole body, which will help her to straighten out her neck.
When you doing the in-hand stuff, it will help her the most to do it from both sides. Just keep watching for that area to be soft, and not stuck. :)