Head carriage

nat17

nat17

Minnie, Sam and Dolly
May 30, 2002
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Cotswolds
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When you ride, where does your horse carry his head?

Sam carries himself very long and low naturally, although sometimes I think its a little evasion as well, I have bought very long reins to help but I dont mind where he carries himsel

Interested you to know if you have neck or no neck in front of you?
 
We have heavy head syndrome. I allow it on a loose rein - and have extra full reins, but because I'm asking him to move faster than a plod these days, I'm finding he's perking up and his head bobs a little higher.
I still feel like I'm riding a giraffe when I get on other horses though, so even Flipo's high head carriage, doesn't compare to other horses.
 
Depends what we are doing, out hacking on the way out she has her head high and has to look at everything, on the way back her nose can be almost on the floor.
 
Normally very low these days. When she's seen something scary it goes up. But most of the time it's long and low. Joe had naturally low head carriage, but when asked to work properly he did go into a nice outline.
 
Normally up in the air with her nose poking out :( trying to improve it, but sometimes feels like its never ever going to get lower! We just did a dressage test and all the trot was head up which was a shame as she worked really well in the warm up, some really nice lower head work too grrrrr
 
On a loose rein jess goes long and low back to her western frame as she did that for years, her poll fractionally about her withers. When working into a contact she elevates more into a fair outline but I never feel like there's loads of neck there, but I think that's confirmation as much as anything.
 
We have a extra short neck (cob length reins are far to long) and he goes round head in the air on full alert. We are learning now he doesnt have to go round at 200 mph so hes learning he can stretch out a little. Im kind of encouraging low and pokey atm as opposed to high.

We dont work in an outline unless its in a pelham so not a true outline, and in reality hes not far enough in his education to understand working on the bit. We are still trying to untrain bad driving habits
 
I want nose on the floor when warming up and cooing down, and the rest of the time it's the back end I am concerned about, the front end will go where the horse needs it to be when the beck end and back are engaged.
 
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Ziggy's head position varies widely. If we have been hacking regularly and he is chilled, he will go along like a little Western pleasure horse with his nose about level with his knees and walking nicely from his back end. This is quite rare though. If he is stressed, keyed up or anxious, his head is higher than mine :eek:
Mostly he has a lowish head, pokey nose pony position!
 
Ours are polar opposites. Raf naturally carries his head in the air and looks at everything. If we're 'schooling' he can be persuaded to carry himself in a better shape, but I've never managed to achieve 'free walk on a loose rein' in a dressage test, where they're supposed to stretch down. Raf does stretch but he stretches upwards - it seems a really really looooong time when you're walking across that diagonal in a test ...

Jack seems to rest his head on your hands, his neck sticks out for miles in front of me and his ears seem an eternity away. You have to really work with your legs to get him to lift his head.

Of the two I definitely prefer high head - I like the feeling that if we do a sudden stop there is something in front of me lol!
 
Tobes naturally has a medium head carriage which is lovely! When 'on one' his head is way up in the sky which is not so fab!!

Long and low in dressage doesn't compute for us - we retain the same head carriage all the way around!!!

On the bit also doesn't please Tobes - but out of devilment on my behalf when he is 'on one' out hacking I insist on it! Enough energy to muck about equals enough energy to work properly! Equal leg and hand and he has to break in the middle much to his disgust!

But we are no dressage divas - must scan and post pics of our pairs comp where Tobes head is in another county to his bottom - I am just delighted that he behaves himself and doesn't embarrass me too much!!!
 
Chanters now he is all but a happy hack likes long and low and I happy for him to do this but as soon as I pick up the reins he goes in to schooling mode. He has the most amazing natural self carriage I can drop the contact and he does not change.

Ginger is still schooled hacking so works in a uphill frame with contact poll highest part. He has nearly got to the same point as chanter were I can give the contact and he holds himself all the time unless asked to work long and low.
 
Annie has a natural high head carriage, I think because of how she's built. In the school we're working on getting her to take the contact down a bit, but out hacking I just leave her to it, as (a) I don't really have a contact as she doesn't need one and (b) her head is up because she's interested in her surroundings and I don't think this is something to discourage.

Mouse doesn't carry his head particularly high or particularly low. In the school he does like to stick his nose out, and that's not something I'm particularly worried about. He has a short neck and doesn't like bending it when he's working so it's all very much a work in progress! On solo hacks he mooches along with his head low (mostly I think because there is more food at that level!) but hacking with others he is head up and perky as he gets quite competitive about getting in front!
 
It depends whether its a low bush or a high bush we are passing. :)
I have a huge shoulder in front of me with a short neck in your lap head.
 
Gem tends to prefer long and low, I can pick her up however her neck is still long. There are times I feel I need XF reins on her as if she has her head and neck on a long rein, I'm holding the buckle with one hand and still got contact! (She's 15hh...!).

D on the other hand, when I first rode her in walk and trot I thought I'd bought a horse with no neck - alas she was clearly uncomfy with a rider on as now she's used to me being plonked on her back, it's much better. This pic shows how nicely she carries herself, which is totally natural and only loosely encouraged (steady hands and ride into hands). She's still inconsistent at times, but I'm not worried about that as she's got many years to iron that out.
 
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