How do I get my Hunter Mare's head down?!

[HorsesforFun]

I have a 4 year old hunter mare that is an absolute joy to work with but I am having trouble getting her head down. At the walk and trot I am able to get her nice and round but at the canter she goes around like a giraffe. I am working on bending her but she is still learning what that is and I ride her in a plain D-ring. Is there anyone with ideas to help lower her head? I don't want to ride her in draw reins or put more metal in her mouth. I am against the draw reins because I feel they are a band-aid to the problem and don't actually fix anything. Any ideas? :confused:

[JLC7898]

I don't think there is an instant way to get a horses head down without gadgets. She is only 4. Don't fret about her head so much! Ride her from back to front. I know the giraffe thing isn't all the rage. Maybe you could work with a Dressage trainer. Even a hunter horse can benefit from some lessons. Riding with an emphasis on engaging the hind end, and the horse accepting contact and then you can worry about the lowering of the head later.A horse with it's head down is really no good unless they are using their hind end. Good Luck!:)

[alliekat]

I don't think there is an instant way to get a horses head down without gadgets. She is only 4. Don't fret about her head so much! Ride her from back to front. I know the giraffe thing isn't all the rage. Maybe you could work with a Dressage trainer. Even a hunter horse can benefit from some lessons. Riding with an emphasis on engaging the hind end, and the horse accepting contact and then you can worry about the lowering of the head later.A horse with it's head down is really no good unless they are using their hind end. Good Luck!:)

I agree.
Getting a dressage trainer will help this and so much more. She is still young and developing.
Good Luck.

[cashin_IN]

I 3rd the dressage idea.... and HALF HALTS, lots of them. you must ride from back to front. if you can get her working off her rear end tehn she will come up in the front. sounds like sheis on the forehand and strung out. sorry, that's the DQ coming out! i have had a simular problem at the trot, and i was attempting to fix it from the front, which i was quickly yelled at, and spent an hour working on the half halt at the WALK. not any fun, but important. good luck, remember she's young, dont' push her, and don't fight with her, and you're right, gadgets are bandaids.

[fourmares]

Ride her forward. Don't fuss about her head yet. Her head comes up because she is not balanced. You need to teach her to balance correctly not to crank her head into a frame. Transitions (assuming they are done correctly) and circles are your friends.

[CatchMeIfUCan]

She'll never get her "head down" until you stop worrying about the head and start worrying about the hind end. "Head down" or "in a frame" is the WRONG way to think about it. Always work from back to front. Generate impulsion, forwardness, and balance from the hind end and keep contact that is like side reins-- steady but elastic. With young ones I like to widen my hands as if to "channel" them from the back and to the front. It probably would be helpful to get yourself to a dressage trainer to help with these concepts. Lunging in side reins for 10 or 15 min before your ride is definitely useful to help young ones (not a band-aid!) learn how to balance themselves without a rider in the way.

[Parrotnutz]

IMHO....think "self carriage" not "head down". Like the other posters before me.....hind end to front end...do not worry about her head....she is too young to have self carriage at the canter.....she needs strength from the hind end......not gadgets holding her head down ;)
Don't be in a rush....it will come...patience

[HorsesforFun]

Thank you all for your inputs. I think the reason I get really frustrated is due to my trainer always screaming at me to have my mare drop her head down. What would be some good, friendly exercises to do to work and engage the hind end?

[Vitriolic]

Thank you all for your inputs. I think the reason I get really frustrated is due to my trainer always screaming at me to have my mare drop her head down. What would be some good, friendly exercises to do to work and engage the hind end?


Try a new trainer who doesn't scream. Any self respecting mare would raise her head with a nut in the middle of the ring. ;) I had a horse who was always hollow backed and so tense during lessons until I replaced the "angry" woman in my ring. :D

[meupatdoes]

From your posts your trainer is starting to sound like one of those hunter trainers who teaches students how to basically steer a figure eight over some sticks, and the students couldn't even bring a horse along to First Level. Not criticizing you here, but the trainer.

In your quest to get her head down, especially on a young horse, if your hands are doing anything more than closing and relaxing your fists on the reins, with your elbows hanging soft and still by your hips, it's too much. If you are truly getting her round at the trot, you should be able to hang your elbows by your hips, touch your thumbs together, keep them there, use your hands only as much as to relax and close your firsts, and ride a serpentine on a nicely round horse.

If that sounds impossible, stop wasting money on this trainer.

[Green Acres]

Thank you all for your inputs. I think the reason I get really frustrated is due to my trainer always screaming at me to have my mare drop her head down. What would be some good, friendly exercises to do to work and engage the hind end?

:eek: I would be looking for a new trainer too!

At 4 years old, the horse may not be physcially able to canter with his/her head down low. That takes muscles across his back and rear end. Be patient and as others have said, work from the back to the front. Lots of transitions and circles. Even hill work will help build up the musles for your beastie. Oh yea, trotting poles are great to too.

[twoposies]

Hills! I have a mare that moved beatifully in hand, but put a saddle on her and she wanted to throw her head straight up in the air, she also doesn't have the strongest topline. I worked her on hills to strengthen her hind end and teach her to use her topline/hind end properly/engage. whenever we'd go up hills I'd ask her to go forward with my legs and drop her head/engage her back with my hands. We started at the walk and moved up through the gaits as she responded. Now as soon as you put your leg on with a very light hand she engages her hind end and comes into a frame.

Good luck!

[Ray]

Thank you all for your inputs. I think the reason I get really frustrated is due to my trainer always screaming at me to have my mare drop her head down. What would be some good, friendly exercises to do to work and engage the hind end?

your trainer, not your horse, is the problem.

[Dixon]

I am working on bending her but she is still learning what that is

Continue to teach her about bending. Getting her to understand and respond to lateral aids is the best way to encourage her to drop down into rounder contact. Spiral in to a tight (10 meterish) circle using an opening inside rein, and then spiral back out to a 20-meter circle using your inside leg to outside hand. Also consider longeing her in side reins, focusing on the canter. Having to balance on a small circle encourages her to bend and drop down, and prepares her back muscles to carry you at the sitting canter without hollowing out.

[2DaPoint]

She's probably putting her head in the air to help balance the giant push she's creating from behind. Very typical of a baby.
Heartily agree with the half-halts, and also doing lots and lots of transitions from walk to trot, and even big trot -- little trot. ("Buns Of Steel" exercises, I call them.)
Engagement (aka Collection) is what your mare needs to learn about in order to have her head lowered while cantering. She needs to "sit down" and really flex the muscles in her hind end so that she can CARRY herself back there, not just push off from back there.
This is something that takes a while.

If you just HAVE to have immediate results, Draw Reins are not your best friend.
Look for a "Neck Stretcher" (super long bungee cord), or try a "Chambon".
Both of these work off of a leverage-resistance from above (to the poll) rather than direct resistance from below.
Draw reins will encourage a horse to "cobra" (keeping the poll very high with the chin tucked into the chest... and can still allow a very inverted musculature) that is the least Huntery looking head position of them all.
The "Neck Stretcher" and the Chambon both encourage a LOWER neck position, which encourages the back to be longer, which encourages the haunches to come under, which encourages engagement to improve balance.

I recently knocked the dust off the Chambon and have used it on two new training horses lately to help them understand the concept of "low head, long neck" and it did wonders.

All told, time is your best ally for teaching your mare to "lower her head" at the canter.
She just needs to learn how to use her butt first!
KD