Re: RC: Head Tossing

[dave & abby bloxsom <cyclone@snet.net>]

Tracy Sahagun wrote:
> 
> I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem.  I have a gelding
> who has been doing 50 mile rides for several years.  He has always had a
> habit of tossing his head up and down for about the first ten to fifteen
> miles of a ride. 

My favorite bit for any horse under about 15.2 is a mullen (straight)
mouthed snaffle.   In a horse with a smallish mouth, the joint in a
jointed snaffle presses into the roof of the mouth when you take up
contact on the reins.  This is really common in little horses,
especially Arabs because of their head conformation.  You could also try
a french mouth snaffle if the mullen mouth doesn't work.  This has two
joints over the tongue, so contact on the reins puts less pressure on
the palate.

I have seen this solution work time and time again for a variety of
evasion problems.  The big ones, though, are part-time head tossing, and
tongue lolling.  Sounds like you have a candidate.

-Abby Bloxsom
Connecticut


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