You don't. If you're working on dressage your goal should NOT have anything to do with the horse's head.
You don't ride the head. Teaching him to tuck his head would accomplish nothing.

 

I agree 100% with Gillian, it will come naturally in time if you are riding him properly and if he is using himself properly.

 

I suggest you get a Dressage Instructor to come and give you lessons, or you go to them. I woudn't do this alone.

 

Hey,

Chinga and I have been working on our dressage alot latly all we have really done latly is collect and exstend our trot and work on different sized circles. But I was wondering how can I teach him to tuck his head up?

Thanks,

MI is correct. Get a coach but you could also read this article.

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-articles/my-article-part-1-a-16171/

 

Hey,

I can only get dressage lessons with my instructor once every holidays, as it is to hard to get Chinga to her on a weekly bases. But I may be getting weekly lessons doing dressage and jumping with her plus working on our general riding.

 

I agree, Dressage isn't about pulling a horse into a position at all...He will learn how to come into contact and how to collect and use his body properly with proper training and exercises to build his strength; pulling his head into a certain position won't get 'er done.

 

Well, first of all you get some baling twine, then you tie one end to his face and the other end to his chest. And presto! you have a bonafide dressage horse without any of those costly lessons or pesky "riding ability".
Good luck!

 

How do I tie it to his chest? And wouldn't it hurt him?

 

Duhr...she wasn't serious...:wink:

 

^^ Exactly. She was being sarcastic

 

anebel, I don't think the sarcasm was called for. Rather then insult, why not try educating?

 

^^ Relax.

 

Um, I am relaxed? But this forum is supposed to be about education. Just because anebel knows alot about dressage does not mean she should be belittling and sarcastic towards those that know less then her

 

She isn't 'belittling', she is just expressing her irritation towards the beliefs that others have. I can see her point. It is a little irritating.

 

Anebel, perhaps educating this rider would be of more help than being rude/sarcastic.
Just my 2 cents, for what it's worth.

Spyder and MIEventer gave some excellent advice

 

Ok Sunny06 - where is your phenominal advice to help the OP out?? I am anxious to hear your thoughts.

 

Please dont laugh at my example but this is what worked for me,

I would turn my inside hand like turning key which gave him a TAUGHT contact and as soon as he dropped his head I released the key (contact) and he soon learn dropping his head takes away pressure. If he is hesitant very subtle close and open your hands while turning the key (sponging the rein)

While doing this push him with your inside leg and keep a TAUGH contact with your outside rein and half halt every other stride or so to keep him from bolting.

right image is what it would look like to turn the key

sorry if I'm bad at explaining but this worked for my horse when he star gazed.

Ah and PATIENCE IS THE *KEY

 

I find it fascinating to see a lamp with a key hole in it...I wonder if one have to use a key to turn it on? That's pretty funny actually.

"Honey, it is dark in here, turn the light on!"

"Ok, just a sec - I have to go thorugh my whole key chain to find the right key that will turn it on"

"ok..got it!......now....where's the lamp?"

*Crash, bang, boom*

 

lol i didnt even realize it was a lamp :shock:

 

Thanks for the advice guys, I rode dressage with my old instructor and then came to my new place and it was anything but dressage. So I'm now trying to remember my dressage aids while teaching him the new ones. I was wondering should we work on collecting and exstending before we start putting everything together like getting him "looking good" he looks great for a horse that was supposibly born to race.

 

Well, sometimes people do do strange things....

 

like me..... for example, count every gray hair on Chinga's face. i came up with 13 or 14.....

 

exactly...hahaha we are so strange!!

 

no your strange...i'm just bored while you saddle up ! =)

 

if you ride your horse forward enough he will stretch down into the contact try lunging your horse with side reins and if you push him forward you will see him stretch down to the bit it strengthens the top of his neck so he can reach into the cantact if you frame up by pulling your horse into frame your building the underside of the neck because he's bracing himself off the bit

 

Half halt. Outside rein, inside leg. It doesn't work for simply tucking in his nose or anything, it just gets them to lower their head, at least in my experience. My horse is not a giraffe, as much as she likes to think she is, so she is never allowed to stick her head up like she is one. Eventually, she learned to use her topline, and now the outside rein, inside leg cue is the cue to get underneath herself and really get to work. =]

 

For crying out loud, get a sense of humor. It was clear, at least I though it was, that Anabel wasn't serious. Not to mention that the OP had already received solid advice/responses to her question.