How to Get My Horse to Have a Better Head Set

Horse's carry their heads at different heights and angles during different gaits. For riding purposes, many riders want their horses to carry their heads "on the vertical", which means with the horse's nose pointing down towards the ground, the neck arched at the poll, and carried in an arch. Knowing how to get your horse to carry his head in this manner is helpful.

Things You'll Need

  • Trained Horse
  • Draw Reins
  • Side Reins
  • Saddle
  • Trainer
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Instructions

  1. How to get a better headset on my horse

    • 1

      Begin with a horse that is well-trained for basic saddle work and who understands the long-line or round pen. You cannot work on setting a horse's head until they have the basics of saddle training down.

    • 2

      Attach side reins to your horse's bridle and then to your saddle. Use just enough pressure to ask for the horse to "give" his mouth and break slightly at the poll. Then work the horse at all gaits on the long-line or round pen. Over a period of several days, tighten the side reins one inch at a time, working the horse until it moves comfortably while giving to the bit.

    • 3

      Work on teaching the horse "collection". This means that the horse is breaking at the poll, keeping his mouth on the "vertical", rounding his back, and using his muscles up underneath himself. It takes time to develop the muscles necessary to carry his frame in this fashion, so expect it to take some weeks before it is ready for a rider.

    • 4

      Introduce the rider once the horse is moving at collected gaits. Be sure to allow a bit more give to the horse's mouth during the transition period, as the horse will now have to balance a rider in addition to himself at the collected movement.

    • 5

      Use draw reins to assist your horse in keeping a good headset while riding. Draw reins pull the horse's mouth down and back when pressure is applied by the rider's hands. They can be very harsh, so they should only be used under professional supervision.