Problem With Head Shaking?

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Posted : 6/27/2010 12:52:16 AM

I've been riding an older Arab mare for a good friend of mine for awhile now. I don't ride often, maybe once a week and the owner rides once or twice a week as well. The owner has acknowladged the head shaking but doesn't feel a need past changing tack to fix the problem (which is quite frustratng!). She also sticks her tongue out in the arena, yuck!

Pretty sure it's not pain, and the horse is up to date on having the teeth floated. The barn owner and I are thinking it's maybe a lack of discipline from the owner and the horse getting lazy over the past year because it's had a lot of time to just hang out in the barn.

Got any ideas as how to possibly address this problem?

ashlingaling

Posted : 6/27/2010 1:17:44 AM

hi, i'v shared your problem before with a horse and head shaking. Its very hard, since your horse is older to rectify the problem and since it doesnt bother the owner you are going to have a hard time to train the horse into not head shaking when it's just u enforcing the rule.

In the past, the problem i'v had is when changing gaits with the horse, moving from a trot to a canter, he would ferociously shake his head, sometimes throwing u off balance. When i tried to rectify this, i found that holding the reins tight, let him feel the bit and hold his head tight in place, making it harder for him to free his head from ur hold and if its like my problem, i just rode him through it.
Eventually he got over it, but i was the only person riding him sothe rule was always reinforced, unless u can get the owner to reinforce the rule too it's pointless.

Hope this may help u, let me know how u get on.