Sender: Julie Irvine
Hi Jessica:
I have been having a problem with my 12 year old Appalosa horse. We go out almost every day for about an hour on the trails by my house. About half an hour into the ride he starts tossing his head up and down. At first I thought that it was flies, so we bought a face net. Didn't work. Then we purchased a rubber training fork. That seemed to work at first, but then the problem continued. I even changed his bit to a snaffle bit. I have only had this horse for about 3 months. Before that, he was not ridden much. He did not seem to have the problem when I first got him, so I was wondering why he developed this habit and what can I do about it? He is normally a very good mannered horse otherwise.
Thank you for any help that you can give me.
Julie
Hi Julie -- it's possible that your horse is bothered by insects or airborne pollens, but for the moment, let's assume that there may be a simpler, physical cause.
Since he always does this after you've been riding for half an hour, I wonder if something isn't making him uncomfortable... let me ask you this: do you allow him to stretch his neck all the way forward and down to the ground periodically? Horses that are NOT allowed to stretch their necks during rides can get very uncomfortable as their neck muscles begin to cramp, and the only way they can try to ease the discomfort is either to root the reins down, or to shake and toss their heads up and down.
Try letting him stretch every few minutes, so that he never gets to the point of cramping, and see whether this helps.
Another, related possibility is this: if you routinely ride on the trails for an hour, the second half-hour is probably the time that you're heading TOWARD home rather than away from it. Horses that are eager to get back to their friends and their home can get a little quick, and riders often shorten their reins on the ride home, without realizing that they're doing it. If a horse is already uncomfortable, this will make him MORE uncomfortable; if he was comfortable, it can make him UNcomfortable. In either case, the reaction may be head-tossing -- again, in an attempt to stretch the neck muscles, or in an attempt to shift the bit pressure, or both. Try riding home on a loose rein, and see whether he still flings his head up and down.
Jessica
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