# Head tossing when ridden?  stress?



## lucky7 (6 June 2016)

My 6yr old welsh D has always done a bit of head shaking - well its more of throwing his head up alot but only whilst being ridden.  I have wathed him in the field and he never does it, i have left him with his bridle on and again never does it only whilst being ridden.  He has been in work off and on and had periods of rest for up to 6 months due to my pregnancies.  He has been in full work now since around march time.  He has had wolf teeth removed a few years back,last had his teeth done around 9 months ago but is due again in 3 weeks, (but stll head shaked after teeth where done last time)  he is ridden in a neue schule team up bit with a lozenge and has a cavesson noseband , his bridle fits correctly and is not pinching him etc.  His saddle is always checked by a qualified saddler, he is due to be checked again next week.  He has always been sound, (apart from when he has a foot abcess) he wears front shoes and is shod regular, he is forward going but can be spooky and sharp.  His head tossing is worse some days then other days he wont really do it much, he mainly does it when hes out hacking, sometimes he will do it in the school for the first 25 mins then when he settles he goes lovely and really stretchy reaching for the contact and feels amazing.  When he is having a head shaking session he is tight, tense, choppy and will sometimes over bend and go behind the contact then violently throw his head up several times.  I have tried him on a loose rein and a firm contact and it makes no difference.  I have tried pushing him on everytime he does it but makes no difference.  Last night took him for a pootle around the block and after 5 mins he just kept doing it, even managing to pull the reins out my hands.
The last thing i want to do is strap him down with a standing martingale, not sure if this is habit now, training issue or just a thing he does when hes stressy and not concentrating or whether its pain related?  I was having lessons around 18 months ago and trainer told me to push him on when he did it, the trainer is a much stronger rider than myself so when he started it with him my trainer pushed him on and it seemed to work.  Its a horrible thing and annoying and just want to get to the bottom of whats causing it!
Ideas please?


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## Luci07 (6 June 2016)

Could be a number of reasons but the first thing to rule out from your view is make really really sure you are 100% consistent in your contact. Push him into the bridle and make sure your hands are still. Mine used to really fuss when I first got him and I actually took off his flash and loosened his cavesson noseband. We had a few sessions with him bearing down with his mouth open and then he stopped and now works nicely. I am lucky in that my horse is one of the few who genuinely tries his best for you so I appreciate that another horse will just take the mick, but it perhaps worth really making sure you aren't picking up and dropping the contact.


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## ester (6 June 2016)

Is he like this all year round?
the fact that it can be changeable from day to day would make me thing something environmental is triggering it.


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## exracehorse (6 June 2016)

Yes my new horse was awful and done the same. Head tossed. My dresssge trainer said it was an evasion. Combined with stress as needed to be shown easy and hard way. My seat and leg and core was not quite right. We sorted that and then I had to gather reins short. We worked very hard on this problem and now totally different horse. It was my riding.


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## acorn92x (6 June 2016)

I could have written this myself about 3 months ago - as other posters have said, it was my riding. I wasn't riding into a consistent enough contact and my horse simply didn't have the confidence to reach for the contact with the situation being amplified because there was no real contact to reach to. I suggest lessons with best dressage instructor that you can find - go on personal recommendations and be prepared to spend time and money on being educated properly, it is so worth it in the long run. 3 months on and my girl is a different horse. I would also finally suggest trying a Micklem bridle or a drop noseband if you don't have the funds for a Micklem as they service a similar function (Micklem was far more effective on my horse - they avoid sensitive nerves in the face) and really helped get her more confident with the contact. I wouldn't be without one now. Best of luck


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## lucky7 (6 June 2016)

ester said:



			Is he like this all year round?
the fact that it can be changeable from day to day would make me thing something environmental is triggering it.
		
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Yes all year round but only when ridden.  I have watched him in the field and he never ever does it.  



exracehorse said:



			Yes my new horse was awful and done the same. Head tossed. My dresssge trainer said it was an evasion. Combined with stress as needed to be shown easy and hard way. My seat and leg and core was not quite right. We sorted that and then I had to gather reins short. We worked very hard on this problem and now totally different horse. It was my riding.
		
Click to expand...

Yes i think i do need to take up my lessons again, it could well be a contact issue.


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## Luci07 (6 June 2016)

Something else I have thought of, do review your bits. My horse is very happy in a loose ring with a lozenge (my "go to") but my previous horse was far more settled and happy in his mouth with a hanging snaffle. Friends horse is better in an eggbutt as doesn't like the "looseness" of his normal bit.


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## Shadowdancing (6 June 2016)

My horse used to do this, never much except when ridden. Believe it or not I changed her diet and it helped! She was on too much high oil food and it made her struggle to settle when I rode her. I think as soon as she felt she HAD to keep her head still she couldn't! She's on a completely different diet now and a different horse. Sounds strange but it worked for us!!


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## benz (6 June 2016)

Had a similar issue fixed with a ported 'bomber' bit, bit bank do trials.


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## AShetlandBitMeOnce (6 June 2016)

I haven't read the other replies but my boy does it when hacking and I have figured that it's down to impatience, if he thinks he should be going a pace faster than we are, doesn't want to stand, or is stuck behind someone slow he will throw his head up and down. (different to side to side if the flies are around his ears if you see what I mean). I have tried to combat it by only increasing the pace when he stops doing it, or is standing as I would like. 

He doesn't do it in the school though.   Have you tried an ear bonnet and a nose net?


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## GirlFriday (6 June 2016)

My guess would be that horae does not like the contact. Could be the bit (try headcollar only in arena if you feel safe), noseband if you use one or the riding. Easy thing is to not react to it (lengthen reins slightly and don't give anything to fight,  but before he does it, not as a reaction) and also make sure you let him stretch down regularly. 

Should be clear, those suggestions are for diagnosis, not future riding!


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## rachm12 (9 June 2016)

My welsh D is the same and by carefully monitoring when it happens I realised it was a stress related thing. He's very spooky and if he gets a big fright and gets worked up and tense he starts tossing his head. I had everything checked by vets, dentists and saddlers just to rule out any problems. I then put him in a standing martingale to break the habit. It worked and he now only does it occasionally. He sometimes does it when he gets bored like if we've walked for too long


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## Pocketr@cket (9 June 2016)

I could have written this about my section D. I did a check list of 
Not lame
Teeth
Body work over
Micklem bridle
Bomber lock up bit 
Dressage saddle that was off the shoulder .

Touch wood it's stopped, seem 90% better with the change of bit. The fussy little wotsit had a big tongue and not much space. The lock up doesn't take as much space as bits with lozenges . We tried the happy tongue bit I didn't like it.

I also find if we aren't in forward mode , it's get choppy , tense ,trot/canter is mixed into one hoppy mode and then some head chucking. If I press forward it then becomes less and less. The more work and better balance and better frame of work ethic it's coming together .


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## acorn92x (10 June 2016)

I would suggest trying a Myler if a bomber bit doesn't do the trick. I use a hanging cheek one with a slight port to it - my girl adores it.


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