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Head up too high....how to correct?

8K views 54 replies 15 participants last post by  Jukochoko 
#1 ·
Okay well I've been riding Sonny alot bareback and I'm enjoying it more and more so I've been riding him bareback more to help me with my balance and just because Sonny responds better like that.

But anyways, for the walk he keeps his head and neck straight with his back (or looks like it...hard to tell when I'm on top of him)...and for the canter his neck is there also....
But for the trot, his head and neck is up more and I can't think of any ideas how to teach him to put it down.

Nothing is spooking him, nothing is hurting him, I'm not using the carrot stick nor am I in any way kicking him or wahtnot to make him feel uncomfortable.

Any ideas? Again all I am using on him at the moment is
Eggbutt snaffle with bridle
Split reins (got them in case I showed)
bareback pad
western girth

and that's all. Help! hehe
 
#30 ·
I wasn't looking for him to collect or be on the bit...I was mainly looking for him to lower his neck so it's not up high....so his poll and withers were on the same level.

FP, you know, you could easily solve the problem and move to NY and board where I board MY horse....then you would defiantely have my permission to ride him whenever
 
#31 ·
If he collects (I don't man any fancy pancy collection, just lowering the head, get of the withers and listening to the aids) the head will drop down too. And that's probably what happened when he did lower his head; he relaxed and then came into a nice, natural and low collection, which is what they need not to wear out their backs and legs.

Why did you care about the head if you didn't care about it looking fancy, and didn't care about how he worked through the body?
 
#32 ·
here is a picture of waht I mean that he was originally doing:
(first attached image) ( the best example cause I do realize that I was kinda holding his head up....but when something is bothering him...like pain or he's nervous that is how he'll keep his head)
And here is what I have now:
(second attached image) (not the bext example but see how the poll and the withers are kinda on the same line? like that)


I'm so bad at saying things...I guess really waht I meant was getting the neck down. I need to pay more attention to stuf like that...cause to me...head, neck, it's all about the same lol
 

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#34 ·
Spyder, even if doing transitions on the lunge line or even while riding...if I am not asking for different patterns, and all this weird stuff (like going on platforms and on tires) he gets bored...and you can tell in his reaction to my cues that something is up. He starts to fight more and doesn't want to co-operate.
Not sure if you know anything on parelli, but it catagorizes the horses into groups depending on their attitudes. Well Sonny is what you'd call a Left Brained Extrovert....passing all the unimportant stuff, LBE gets extremely bored and fast. Now whether you think the stuff is true, that's up to you....but Sonny does get bored with stuff that the last horse that I rode would enjoy doing
 
#35 ·
I understood how you meant, but why did you care about the headset if you didn't care about his frame or colllection? Why not letting him walk as he wants?
 
#37 ·
it's only bad if you are bouncing on their back....if you always have contact and are moving with them it isn't bad for their backs.


Zab, well originally I thought it was some type of training issue or something....but actually the head up was a pain issue and I've gotten it under control. He lowers his head almost to the ground randomly when trotting and the only time he'll raise it is if he's nervous or there is pain
 
#38 ·
"A girl I knew rode her horse everyday bareback for a couple of months ( only about 30 minutes to 1 hr each day) but after a couple months of this he had pressure sores on his back. She was a very good rider and the horse was in good condition but over time was broke down to the point that she couldn't even ride him with a saddle, he spent several months on pasture rest to heal his back."

Even if you can sit the trot the motion of it is less 'flowy' and your seatcones still dig in every stride.
 
#40 ·
I can't quote since it's written in swedish, but I know at least 3 people who had to start riding bareback because of an illfitting saddle, and their horses suddenly gained much more muscles and worked better with them.
I woas going to show pictures, but can't find them in the bazillion of threads.. -_- but I can PM the rider and ask for before-after photos?

So either the rider in your story doesn't ride very good in that aspect, or the horse got problems of another reason.
 
#39 ·
Yes by sitting to it, it can hurt the back...but if you are literally flowing with the trot, as if you are "trotting" yourself you're seat will be moving with him...there will be no bounce at all and no pain for the horse.

My friend from the stables rides her horse since she got her bareback. Only twice have I seen her ride in a saddle...that was for a trail (though normally she goes bareback for it) and the other was for the show (where she HAD to use a saddle). Her horses back is fine and she's owned her for over 2 years.

If you are bouncing even the slightest bit all the time while trotting...yes it definately will ruin the back, but I fail to see how, if you are moving with the horse at the pace they are going, how it would hurt their back.....but maybe I"m not looking at it the right way.
Also I don't always ride bareback. If I'm just doing light work and not really practicing on anything, then I'll go bareback....but if I'm practicing something where I'll need perfect Balance (or if Sonny is purposely trying to throw off my balance) then I use my saddle.
 
#41 ·
here's a before and after photo.....the before was I only rode in a saddle, never bareback.
And the after photo is with me mainly riding bareback. The after picture was also taken about 1-2 months ago....so it's not an extremely current one

(see attached)


I think if you have a quiet seat, the back will be fine...but if you are moving agsint the horse or not moving at all (or bouncing) that you will hurt the horse.
 

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#43 ·
sonny have you ever had someone siton your lap? eventually even whenno moving or if they accidentlytilt in a slight way their seatbones dig into your thighs. thats what its like for a horse when you ridethem bareback
Thats what I was trying to say but couldn't think of an example! :lol:
 
#45 ·
first off, the saddle fits fine. It isn't too small and doesn't put pressure anywhere. It's not from a bad or ill fitting saddle.


Good point Zab! And it's honestly correct. If bareback riding was bad and painful Sonny would NOT have gained muscles...he's gain it in other places where he is not supposed to so he can avoid the pain that way
 
#46 ·
...I'm kind of curious... How many people can say the have NOT ridden bareback?

I do it. I don't do it EVERY time I ride but i ride bareback and I LOVE IT...
 
#48 ·
Have you tried a training fork? This may help by getting him to give to your hands more. I also noticed that you do seem to have your legs a little too far forward. By pulling them back underneath of you this may also help with the horses balance as well as yours.

-Brittany
 
#49 ·
I don't want to use any mechanical devices. My old instructor uses them all the time and I've seen too many horses (ALL of her horses infact) that have to have it on for them to listen. If it's not on then they don't think we are on their back and take off. Also my horse can get extremely spooked and frightened at times...you totally freaked when the BO was showing me another way to get him to back up (and he freaked for me also) so I have to be realllllly careful on what I do because he is starting to actually WANT to be with me now (instead of other horses) so I don't want to do anything to scare him and ruin what we have so far.

I bounce more with my leg back farther and I have no balance there. I get cramps extremely easy in my lower legs and ankles so it's hard for me to keep them bent too long. I don't think a chair position is bad...it's not the lovely-est to look at, but it doesn't hurt the horse and I've noticed that most people when they ride bareback have it. I think it's just natural
 
#50 ·
(training fork? What's that? O__o The name give me an image of a giant fork stuk down in the ground and a horse tied to it in training.. like pillars or something..>_>)
 
#52 ·
I just perfer to teach my horse stuff without using mechanical devices...in the long run I've seen better results. Also on a side point, I have no money to spend on stuff that I won't be using for a long time. I already need a rain sheet for my horse and a new bit at some point
 
#55 · (Edited)
your horse is apparently not responding to you. you need to work on your legs and have your horse 'under you' walking trotting and galloping. now to do that you need to feel the pressure you put in the reins and the pressure in your legs, he needs to engage a good trot with his back legs, you need to 'place him' by playing with your hands, dont pull though!gently open and close your hands still with a good pressure on your legs. it is better to do it naturally than with external help, you first need, before using any artificial help, to do this work by yourself.
hope that will help!
 
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