Walking horse help

Aw, he's a pretty horse. LoL, he's not an obese monster or anything...I was prepared for a lot fatter.

Yeah, I really like that his head isn't being yanked up, that bugs me to death. No, the head bob isn't "necessary" but is a general breed characteristic and if your horse can do it, you're at least starting in the right area.

Hurley's right...the saddle's maybe looking a little wide. I say that because my old saddle looked just like that on Annie (my TWH) when I first got her. The saddle "came with" her, but it was way too wide. Kind of made her gait a little choppy. I noticed kind of a big difference when I got a saddle with a more narrow tree.

i personally would never get on a horse that doesnt flex his head.to teach a horse to flex hold the rein to the cantle or horn of your saddle with adequate pressure and release when your horse moves his head in your direction.also it helps to start with you on the ground and if he moves just go with him. i dont know if thats the correct way to do it but thats how i taught my horses.so if im ever riding my mare and she gets spooks and runs i can just one rein stop her and shes fine.i think that wil help with him giving his head a little.does he put his head up? one of my horses does that and i use a tiedown with him then slacken it each time i ride.also how fast can your friends horse go without breaking his gait?

Ha ha he really doesn't look too bad in that picture, but he was almost 3000lbs, and is now down to 1200 i think.

Oh yeah, that isn't the saddle she normally rides in she borrowed it for the show. We are going to have our message therapist come out to check the saddle she normally uses.

He will flex like to the left and right really nice but as far as asking him to bring his nose in he will do it standing still, but when she asks him to move forward he won't. I just look at all the other pictures, and the horses neck has a nice shape to it, and too me he looks like he has no shape, which i would assume is because he never has his nose in, because that is what my horses neck looked like until i started bitting him up, and really ask him to give me his nose.

He is a very unmotivated horse too, but since he has lost his weight, he is actually holding his head up a little higher on his own. She is thinking about getting that bit, she was going to get a tender touch, that is what he is wearing in the picture, but he doesn't seem to respond to the bit at all. As far as how fast he can go, uh he is pretty slow, he has a hard time keeping up with my horse walking. This summer i got tired of having to stop and wait for her so i made her ask him to speed up, and he would gait for a short while then break into a canter or pace. He does bob his head some, but i think sometimes its more side to side then up and down. Also what should we work on first, i was thinking getting his gaits down then worry about the head set?