headshy horse

Question
I have a 19 year old thoroughbred x who has become head shy since ive got him which was about 4 months ago, originally it was just his bridle he didnt like but now he wont let me halter him either.
I have had his teeth checked etc by a vert and all ok, just wondered if you could give me any advice as everytime i go to halter or bridle him he now puts his nose to the ground and swings his head around to the side out of my reach, it was actually easier when he threw his head up as I could hold his head down.

I would be really grateful of any help you could give me

Thanks
Lyndsey

Answer

Samantha Harvey & Tayl Thanks for writing. There could always be a million reasons why a horse "suddenly" starts to behave in a certain manner. I would guess he did not start this over night, but perhaps he showed more subtle mannerisms that you may have not noticed.

Instead of being distracted by his head tossing (which is a symptom and not the issue itself) you may have to investigate and "break down" the big picture to understand why your horse is doing what he is. Head tossing is typically a mixed sign of frustration and a bit of a challenge. The challenge masks the insecurity he is feeling (if he is more offensive rather than defensive he may be able to protect himself better.)

Because I have not seen you and your horse interact, I can only offer you some thoughts and perhaps an alternative perspective in viewing your horse's behavior.  The seemingly drastic "sudden change" in your horse's behavior is a common occurrence between horses and humans.  Many times we create a relationship with our horse that is so attentive it can be on the verge of overbearing in a horse's mind.  The horse may appear calm and quiet and interested on the outside but may be stressed internally with feelings of doubt or insecurity.  

Were you ever able to work your horse at liberty or was he only worked while restrained with a halter and lead rope or while being ridden?  If you were able to work him both loose and while on the lead, was there a difference in his stress levels, attitude, willingness, availability in his mind and how much "try" did he offer you?

How much interaction and what kind of relationship do you have with your horse?  Horses are wonderfully adaptable creatures and can rather quickly "get used to" or learn to "tolerate" situations without acting aggressively or in an ill manner despite their internal feelings.  Their true feelings about situations do not surface until they are "allowed" an opportunity and freedom to communicate with a person.  You'll need to create scenarios where your wants to participate rather than tolerating you.  At 19 he's pretty confident in his opinions about people.  You may have to learn how to present things in a new and interesting way that will encourage him to trust you.

Right now may be the only opportunity that your horse has to convey to you (by remaining physically distant) that he may not be feeling as warm and fuzzy inside about his relationship with people.  Most people do not notice a horse attempting to tell them that he is having a mental or emotional problem until the horse does something physically obvious, disruptive or unmanageable.

I suggest each day that you work with him, you approach him as having a blank slate.  This can be disheartening after all the "progress" he made with his training.  In my mind, I would rather have a horse that can convey his honest feelings regarding his attitude towards me and work with him towards making him "feel good," rather than force him to tolerate whatever it is that I'm asking of him with no regard as to how he feels about it until the day he can no longer "deal" with me and acts out dangerously, reactively, or aggressively.

So how to proceed from here?  Ask 20 people and you will get 20 different answers.  I would say you would need to get you and your horse into a "safe" place such as a round pen (even if it's a bit ugly to catch him to get him there) and then start with a clean slate.  Assume he knows nothing (do not worry, his "training" will not be lost or forgotten) but with the guidance of someone who can help you and your horse work together, you will need to start talking "with" your horse rather than "at" him focusing on the basic understanding of pressure:  spatial, physical and vocal.  Under guidance someone can help point out his body language so that you will begin to understand that there is a reason why your horse does every single thing he does.  You can then learn in a calm, quiet and clear manner, how to influence your horse emotionally and mentally, which then influences his outward behavior and attitude towards you.

Good Luck,
Samantha Harvey