How do you train your horse to have a low head carriage for western pleasure?

Rodeo #842: How do you train your horse to have a low head carriage for western pleasure?
I train horses for all-around and gaming events, but i got a horse in to train for western pleasure. I know how to get their gates to be slow, but i can’t get the horse to drop his head. I’ve tried tie-downs and running martingales, but those don’t seem to work. I need some help in training this 3 year old quarter horse! thanks!

Answers and Views:

Answer by burdfour
As you have found, a tie down is not going to work. How does his neck tie into his body? How does he carry his head when moving freely? Today’s WP horses are bred to naturally carry their head low.

I have had some luck in the past teaching a “head down” cue. Go back to the very beginning, think dressage, and teach this horse to reach down for contact to the bit. Massage his mouth gently with the bit as you ride, gently wiggle the bit from side to side in his mouth, let the reins slip through your hands as the horse reaches for contact. You also want to teach the horse to lift or round his back, if his back curves up, the head and neck will drop. With horses that really dont’ seem to get it, I have had some luck teaching this with draw reins, but you dont’ want to stay in them, because they often cause the horse to become heavy on the forehand. Also, once you have the gaits slow, and are able to stay out of his/her mouth, the head may drop some more.

Answer by bob ©
you could try clicker training or as the other poster said teach him a head down cue. stop using tie downs on your horse. they will only screw up his body and create tension and pain in his back. also, i really hope you are not backing this youngster already…

Answer by BarrelBabe
No tie downs and martingales wont work…it will teach him to work against you, not with you…

What I do is I ride with my hands at my knees, the reins straight back colecting the head until the horse is relaxed, slowly let out the rein bit by bit until the rein is looser and he is still keeping his head down…that way you get the flat head and the slow headset….be aware that some horses have a naturally high headset and most of the time they dont change it…because it is where their head needs to be for proper movement….no biggie it just means they should be trained in a different area….

Answer by galloppal
The tie down and martingale will already have developed some muscle on the underside of his neck, which now needs to atrophy in order for him to be able to work correctly. I would ride him long and low, which means throw the reins out loose and stay off the mouth as you work on developing his forward impulsion. This means lots of seat and leg to get him reaching forward, bringing his energy from the hindquarters and stretching his muscles forward. Eventually, he will become conditioned enough to elevate his back, and his forehand will lighten. When that happens, his neck will naturally drop into the correct position, and then you can use slight rein cues to bring him onto the bit. You cannot force a headset and ever expect it to work.
You can also work on teaching him to laterally flex at the poll, which is done by bringing his nose around to touch your toes on either side, using light rein cues and releases as you ask for it. This will prepare him for the natural flexion of his poll that you want longitudinally later on.

Answer by snuffalufagus
First off gallop’s pretty much right on here but the bigger question is why are you saying and accepting money to train a WP show horse when you have no idea what your doing? Dont you think thats a little unfair to the customer and the horse…what happens if you cannot deliver??? I think thats bad business to take on a horse that you dont know how to train properly.

Answer by LopeSlow
A lot of it is going to depend on his conformation. How is he built? If he has a very uphill build and his neck comes higher out of his shoulder, he’s very likely going to have a very hard time getting a correct WP frame. You can teach him to lower his head, but he won’t be able to carry his entire body correctly–which is what it’s really about (“headset” is just one piece of it). I’ve got 3 AQHA all-around horses. One of them is built more uphill. He knows that his head is supposed to be low, but to achieve it, he usually has to arch his neck more. The other two are built more like typical WP horses–if they hold their neck in their natural position, their head will still be low. If your horse does not have a typical WP build, you can train the “headset” into them, but the true, proper carriage of the entire body will be difficult, depending on the degree of his build. That being said, his gaits are the most important thing–but remember, slow is not the only goal. You want balanced, rhythmic movement at the walk, jog, and lope–steady, consistent, slow–but not four beat lopes and half-walk/half-jogs.

Tie-downs and martingales are only devices. If used properly, they can help a horse learn to carry his body in the proper position and they can help him develop the right muscles, but if used incorrectly, they’ll mess him up or just hide the problem until you take them off.

One technique I use to help my one gelding (the one who is built more uphill) lower his neck (NOT just his head) is to do flexion work. I start at a halt and slowly but firmly pull just one rein, pulling his head around to my knee, until he gives to me. As soon as he gives, I pet him and release and do it to the other side. I do that until he’s flexing as soon as I touch the reins. Then I move up to a walk and do it, then a jog. It strengthens their neck muscles and relaxes their neck, helping them to carry it low and strait (not high, tense, or arched).

Another technique is to be really consistent with correcting him. Start at a halt and pull back on both reins. Keep leg pressure on so he doesn’t back up. If he’s not used to this, he’ll fight you at first, but be consistent. As soon as he gives to the bit and lowers his head/brings his nose in, release and praise him. Do that over and over til he’s bringing his nose in and his head down as soon as you touch the reins. Then do it at a walk–make sure he doesn’t break gait when you pick up the reins. When he can do it there, do it at the jog then the lope. The important thing is to be consistent and do it EVERY time he starts to raise his head. Eventually he’ll figure out that it’s a lot less cumbersome to just keep his head where it’s supposed to be.

Answer by the_horses_view
Your horse is three there for he is still learning. Many people make the mistake of shoving a high port or correction bit in there horses mouth. A ported bit is not ment to put the horses head down but simply tuck it in. If you want the horses head and neck down such as your common western pleasure stock horses you need a bit that will break the horse over the pole signalling to drop his head. A ported bit is a bit with the bump in the middle, a pole flexion bit is straigt with minor or no bend in it when pulling up on the reins give a small suddle squeeze with your legs moving the horse forward putting him “on the bit”, when you GENTLY lift the reins it will lift the shank bringing preasure up through your headstall, putting preasure on the horses pole (a pressure point behind the ears) asking him to drop his head and neck. It also can make a diffrence if his back is sore. After you ride him take you thumb and index finger a run them down your horses back adding slite pressure then do this again in about an hour if his back is sore it may be the saddle

Answer by kbuff
the best thing to do is use training forks or draw reins