Re: RC: Nose in the air/head tossing

[tvanhove@uswest.net]

Warning - free Advice from non-professinional!

Seems to be a cluster of head problem posts lately.  So I'm going to throw
in my .02 cents worth even though I am not a trainer or riding instructor.
My gelding always carried his head high.  Last year at a ride a real good
horsewoman noticed I was bumping his mouth with the reins.  Carrying his
head high changed where the bit hit to a less sensitive area.  So I started
taking dressage lessons to learn how to maintain a steady light contact
which is what makes him comfortable.  I highly recommend getting formal
instruction from a good instructor if it is at all possible.  I had been
riding my whole life, done 4-H and thought I was a decent rider, it was
shocking all the bad habits I had acquired over years of never having anyone
remind me what was correct.  This can have unintended consequences though.
Getting my gelding to round developed muscling in his back and my old saddle
quit fitting him.  Sure wish I had started the dressage when he was 4 or 5
instead of waiting till he was nearly 11.   If formal instruction is not
possible, I would recommend at least do some arena work so both horse and
rider are relaxed to learn to develope feel/rythm with the horses mouth.

Aside from formal riding instruction to fix me, my gelding learned to carry
his head better with lounging him in side reins.  I have not done a lot of
side rein work, but would recommend it to anyone needing to teach a horse to
accept bit contact and travel in the proper frame if you can get some
direction to get started.  My dressage instructor lounged Grey the 1st time
with side reins.  I really dislike running martingales and would recommend
switching to a german martingale to anyone who uses one.  Would never use
one with more than an Dee ring or eggbut snaffle though because you are
doubling your leverage on the horses mouth.

Teresa

Deanna German wrote:

> Hi!
>
> Could anyone replying to Carla about her nose in the air horse reply to
> ridecamp? Or at least cc: me since I'm very interested in the subject.
>
> Isn't getting the horse to carry its head properly necessary before
> engaging the hind end? As in, if the horse is travelling nose in the air
> and all strung out, there's no way to achieve collection. Wouldn't
> travelling that way be very fatiguing to the horse and thus a concern
> for a distance rider? The fact that the horse can't see what's ahead
> would also seem to be a concern....
>
> I've heard/read/been told that collection cannot be achieved from front
> to back. But I just can't fathom how collection would be achieved at all
> unless you have at least the beginnings of a good head set (which to me
> means flexing at the poll and no ewe neck).

Most horses are not strong enough in the back to collect w/o lowering their
heads.  Many of the horses people ride for endurance probably have enough
natural go that the only thing needed to achieve collection is the
relaxing/lowering of the head.  Certainly that was the case with Grey.

Teresa



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=