Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Western Pleasure and head set II

From: Elena

I recieved your message about my mount being excited about shows as why she carries her head so high. Yet, could there be any other ways to remedey the situation? WHen we are training at home she also carries he head high, and on trails also. She has also been shown for 12 years western pleasure and the people who owned her before me could not get her head down either. Any ideas?

Hi again Elena! Ah, I see... that's why I asked you whether she carried her head low at home. Your mare can't do anything at a show that she can't do at home, and she isn't likely to WANT to do anything at a show that she doesn't do at home!

I think that perhaps the question should be 'Why do you want to show her in Western Pleasure?'

Not all Quarter Horses should be in Western Pleasure classes! Many horses, no matter what breed they are, are simply not SUITED to moving with their heads down, either because of their eyesight, their conformation, or their physical development.

If this mare is somewhere between 15 and 20, and has never travelled with her head down, EVEN ON THE TRAIL, I'd say that there is no point in asking her to do it. If her previous owners tried for twelve years and failed, there is probably a very good reason for it. On the trail, on a loose rein, even high-headed horses will generally be happy to reach forward and down. Since your mare is still unwilling to drop her head, I would guess that she has a physical problem -- for instance, she may not see well with her head down.

Whenever you get a horse, you have two choices: one is to decide what YOU want to do, and try to train the horse to do that. Sometimes this works, if you've selected a horse that can do what you want to do. Sometimes -- if you select a horse that CAN'T do what you want -- it just won't work. That's what's happening with this mare, IMO -- you want to show in Western Pleasure classes, and she simply isn't suited to them.

Since you already own this mare, you might be better off with the second choice: find out what your horse is likely to be good at, and then do THAT.

And if Western Pleasure is what you really, truly want to do, then my suggestion is that you get another horse. It's frustrating for you to show and never do it right and never get pinned, and it's frustrating for your mare to be hassled to do something that doesn't suit her at all. If no one in the last fifteen years has been able to persuade her to move like a WP horse, it makes more sense for you to find a horse that can do it easily. There are a lot of sweet, quiet, naturally low- headed horses in the world, and many of them are for sale. It would make more sense for you to sell your mare to someone whose interest is in gymkhana, and for you to look for a real Western Pleasure horse.

Good luck!

- Jessica

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