HEAD DOWN, PLEASE!

25 Reasons for asking a horse to lower its head.

UN-MOUNTED GROUNDWORK:

1.Put on a halter

2.Groom face, forelock and mane

3.Clip bridle-path

4.Put on bridle, adjust bit

5.Check ears

6.Put on fly mask

7.Apply sunscreen, insect repellent

8.Clean eyes, nostrils

9.Paste worming

10.Administer medication

11.Check teeth and float teeth

12.Check capillary refill

13.Establish dominance

14.Stretch and loosen neck, shoulder, back and abdominal muscles

15.Ask for attention/focus

16.Induce calm and relaxation

17.Lower respiratory and pulse rate

18.Give to pressure from above and below

MOUNTED WORK

19.Examine unfamiliar obstacles and negotiate terrain

20.Lengthen stride

21.Round top-line and engage hindquarters

22.Give to the bit

23.Improve collection and suspension

24.Focus on task

25.Increase balance

A thoroughly trained horse will usually put its head down upon request. This basic action demands cooperation of the horse and should be a part of every horse's education. Many of the demands that we make of the horse during the training process will hinge on this simple act.

Teaching your horse to lower its head on cue is a valuable building block which must be in place before exposing your horse to more difficult tasks (such as tolerating the bit....) Omitting this step in the training process will lead to basic handling problems later on. For example: Basic training teaches the horse to accept saddle and bridle. Sounds simple, but if you haven't taught the horse how to put his head down on request, where is it going to be while you are trying to bridle him?

Teaching your horse to lower his head on cue influences him/her three ways:

1. Emotional : Establish dominance in your horses eyes

2. Mental: Demand focus and attention

3..Physical: Therapeutic stretching and relaxation

In a natural setting horses will lower their heads as a sign of submission to another horse. When you ask your horse to lower his head, you are asking him to show submission to you. You will be establishing your dominance and taking the lead role. This will help your horse develop respect for you and encourage him to "follow your lead".

When you cue your horse to put his head down, you are asking for his mental attention, focus, and response. This can be particularly helpful when you need to distract your horse from reacting to other horses, or from something he might want to spook at.

Physically, when your horse lowers his head, he stretches out many muscles in his neck, shoulder and back. This induces relaxation, and if you scratch or rub your horse by the withers while his head is lowered, endorphins are released and flood the horse with a pleasant calming sensation. Improved flexibility and suppleness is an additional benefit for your horse.

Make sure when you groom your horse you use cross-ties that are long enough to allow him to lower his head. Better yet, teach your horse to ground-tie which will allow his head to be free. Your grooming should act as a therapeutic massage and should encourage relaxation and lowering of the head.

If you can make your horse feel good, he will want to come to you and he will be glad to be with you. He will begin to bond and trust you. A cooperative and willing partnership is the result.

Not only should we teach our horse to lower it's head on cue, but we should teach him to "give" to the pressure laterally (left and right).  We also need to teach our horses to "give" to pressure from below. Then if he steps on a rein, he won't lift his head and break it.

There are various methods for cueing a horse to lower it's head. Different things work for different horses and situations. It's good to teach your horse cues without the use of any equipment. For example: if you want to halter your horse, ask him to lower his head by rubbing his poll bone between the ears. Some horses need a lot of pressure, some respond to a lighter touch. As soon as the horse lowers it's head even the slightest bit, remove your hand and stroke him on the neck and withers as a reward.

This approach might be too aggressive with a shy or fearful horse. Horses are protective of their head and this technique might be too invasive of their personal space if a trusting bond has not yet been established. Instead, you can start stroking the horse's neck from the withers forward toward the ears. Use both hands, and stroke rhythmically. (Simulate a mother as she licks and comforts her foal.)  As one hand strokes the neck forward, the other gradually should move toward the face. Using the advance and retreat method, the second hand strokes the face forward from ears to nose. Eventually the horse relaxes and should begin lowering the head.

A knotted rope halter (my first choice), or a traditional halter and lead, can be used to cue a horse to lower it's head. Use the halter to apply pressure on the face, nose and/or head. If the horse responds by pulling away or throwing his head up, don't pull down. Just hang on, follow the motion of the head, and keep the pressure constant. If the horse can't get away from the pressure by pulling away or throwing his head up, he will eventually lower his head to see what happens. Be patient. When his head lowers even a little bit, your immediate release is his reward. Your timing here is critical!

Initially when we cue our horse, he may lower his head for a moment and immediately lift it again. Don't get discouraged. The more you practice, the longer he will keep his head down. The more he trusts you, the longer and lower he'll go. When we begin bitting the horse, if we keep the halter on underneath the bridle we can signal the horse with a familiar cue (halter pressure) as he learns to respond to the bit. Eventually the halter signal can be withdrawn, and the horse will understand the cues as delivered thru the bit. The horse will be calm as it makes this transition. This calmness will carry over to your horse’s mounted work as well.

By learning to respond to the "HEAD DOWN PLEASE" cue, your horse's emotional, mental and physical well-being will be greatly enhanced. Your relationship with your horse will grow. Remember, this basic principle creates the foundation on which good training is built. The extra time you take teaching your horse will be reflected thru-out your horses life.

Ó2001 Juli S. Realy practitioner of PROGRESSIVE training methods