throwing of the head

Question
my ex-barrel racer can't stop throwing her head! i have tride everything i now, like different bit, tydown, loowering the bit, but nothing is working for me so i was wondering if you now anything about her doing that please tell me! my mom said, " she likes it theres now problem with it" there is a big problem with it , and the sooner i find out the better my horse fells

Answer
Dear Shania,

When you say throwing of the head, there are two things I can imagine are possible, and I will go through both of them with you. Hopefully you can recognize which of the 2 is appropriate for your mare.

Head shaking can be a clinical condition, in other words it can be caused by discomfort of the horse. Usually a horse who suffers from this throws her head up and down constantly during training (both ridden as when being lunged). It also described as a flipping of the nose, similar to when a bug or fly is bother the horse. The movement is only upwards, so the horse doesn't bring her head down before throwing it in the air. Vets do not agree on what causes this behavior, some suggest it are mites investing the ears or an ear infection. Often it becomes worse in the spring and summer. A solution often found to help is a net attached to the nose band of the horse, or treating the horse with cyproheptadine (ask your vet) and blocking the eyes from direct sunlight.

Another cause might be a behavioral problem. A bad habit the horse picked up. In this case it is more as if your horse is just about to rear up, but just not quite goes this far. A method I heard helped horses in this case in called counter conditioning. Train your horse in a relaxed atmosphere to lower its head on command, so its nose is at the height where it should be where you ride. Do this with a verbal command, or by a clicker (you can buy these at pet shops), on the same time as a treat that you hold at the place where your horses nose should be. Continue this training until your horse responds to the command without you holding the treat there. Now, change situations, for example you on top and a friend next to the horse, and when she starts throwing her head, say the command.

In general, a few riding tips are also essential to not stimulate head throwing by your horse: have enough impulse from behind, change gaits and speeds a lot and make sure your horse responds without hesitation. And hold your hands still, never making abrupt halts with them.

Good luck and I hope you can find a good solution.

Kind Regards,

Katrina