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Horse is Heavy on the Hands

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  apachewhitesox 
#1 ·
So, the horse im leasing, Brad, is a really nice horse. He goes both hunt and western. Im going to be showing him western this summer. He rounds up nicely, and works off his hind end well.

However, he really hangs on my hands. I feel like I'm carrying his head around for him. I ride him in a D ring snaffle right now, but have ridden him in a curb. He definitely carried his head better in the curb, but i know that using a stronger bit isnt going to fix the problem, just hide it.

Any tips?
 
#2 ·
Is he a Quarter Horse or other stock breed? He might not be able to help it if he's built downhill. I have a QH stallion who's as nice as he can be and oh so willing and the first time I ride him, if I take a few days off, I get muscle spasms in my neck and shoulders he's so heavy on the fore. It's ESPECIALLY noticable after I've been riding my Arabs or Saddlebred who are very light.

With training, my guy can lighten up some, but he's built down hill as so many of the stock breeds are there's going to be only so much he can do and the rest will, literally, rest on my shoulders and arms.
 
#4 ·
He is a purebred Morgan, hes really not build downhill at all. And i know he can carry his head, because he does so in a tougher bit.

Try a unilateral half-halt by bumping him up with your inside leg followed immediately by an upward (not back) bump with the inside rein to bring up his head and let him know it's not okay for him to lug on your hands. Eventually he will associate the bump with your leg as a cue to bring his head up and stop leaning on your hands. You do want a a "good heavy" feel with your horse's mouth, he should reach out to you and make the contact with your hands, there's a fine line between "good heavy" and leaining on your hands...good luck!
Thanks for the tips, i'll definitely try that. He's heavier on the right hand side, so would it makes sense to concentrate on the half halts suing my right side cues? Bump with right leg, upward bump with right rein?
 
#3 ·
Try a unilateral half-halt by bumping him up with your inside leg followed immediately by an upward (not back) bump with the inside rein to bring up his head and let him know it's not okay for him to lug on your hands. Eventually he will associate the bump with your leg as a cue to bring his head up and stop leaning on your hands. You do want a a "good heavy" feel with your horse's mouth, he should reach out to you and make the contact with your hands, there's a fine line between "good heavy" and leaining on your hands...good luck!
 
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