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[RC] Training question for Cowboy Ed - head tossing - Ridecamp Guest

Please Reply to: Sharon Hahn sharon.hahn@xxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Is your horse head tossing for a reason or just because?
Other people have spoken to head tossing for a reason (pain,
etc.)  My Arab does the circular head tossing thing many
Arabs do.  She does it while running in the pasture, so I
know it's not bit pain or anything.  When I got her 10 years
ago, she was in a curb bit with a tie down.  I took that off
and rode her in a hack for about a year.  That was pretty
good because she really only head tossed when accelerating
(i.e. from walk to trot, trot to canter, and when cantering
period), and the hack tended to bonk her in the nose when
she did that - self-correcting.  Eventually I was able to
move her into a snaffle and now I can't remember the last
time she tossed her head under saddle (still does it in the
pasture, though).

I agree with the other posters who said to nix the tie
down.  There is a good article in this month's Trail Blazer
about how in order to train the speedy, jiggy horses; you
have to learn to LET GO.  They are used to being on a tight
rein and won't relax until you let go.  Hard to do (especially
if you have one that takes off the minute you loosen
the reins) but it works.
_______________________________
Hello Ed and ya'll,
He has one vice that I really don't like.  He will toss his stupid head 
!!!!!!!!!!!!  So, I started him in a rubber mouth snaffle, then after he was 
feeling better, the head tossing started.  So, I went to the pony hackamore.  
He seemed ok at first.  Then he started it again.  So, I put on the standing 
martigale.  He seemed better at first, then he got to where he Hated it.  He 
would fight it.  So, I tried a bungi cord.  Thought maybe a little give, but he 
still tossed.  So, now I am back to nothing, just the hackamore.  He does get a 
little better as you ride him, or if he is in front on the trail.  Anybody have 
any ideas????  Joni doesn't mind it as much as me, I really hate it, get mad, 
pop the horse, then that makes him worse....bad cycle.  I was thinking about 
putting him in another bit with a little more bite to it for control (this guy 
really wants to go) and that maybe the "jingling" of the hackamore was bugging 
him.

Jody and the girls


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