Ask The Trainer

How do I get my horse to stop lifting its head when she stops?

To fix a problem we first need to address what is causing it. If a horse is throwing its head up when cued for a stop, probably the cue is the cause. Raising their head is a form of evasion; more simply they are trying to get away from pressure. If you pull too hard or too fast it may cause this reaction so you may need to change the way you cue for a stop.

To get a horse to keep its head down when it stops you must teach the horse to lower its head before you ask it to stop. I like to teach my horses a "soft feel" or to break at the poll when I apply pressure to the reins. The softer your hands are the softer the horse can be. It may take firm pressure to teach this initially but when the horse starts to respond we must get softer. As the horse becomes more comfortable with the soft feel, we should always be trying to ask with less pressure than the last time. If we do not give our horse an opportunity to get soft, they will always be heavy.

When I am riding I ask my horse for a soft feel just before I ask for a stop, Then her head is already down and her back is round which will enable her to stop harder. After the horse is stopped, I will again ask for a soft feel to let her know I still want the head down. Asking for a soft feel is something that you can do often when riding or standing still. The more often you do this the faster it will become habit.

In a young horse with only 25 or 30 rides it should not be too hard to change how you are asking for a stop. When asking for a stop take a deep seat, take your legs off the horse, say whoa like you mean it and give your horse a chance to respond. Only when they dot respond to the three cues you have already given should you pick up the reins and apply pressure with them. Remember that it is not how fast you stop but how light can you be and have your horse stop.

Will Clinging 2004 (c)

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