An absolute standard of groundwork for me is to teach every horse I work with a “head down” cue. From being able to easily bridle taller horses, to clipping bridle paths, to telling my horse to be calm and focused next to me, this cue is invaluable in daily handling. What’s even better is that it can be translated to riding by teaching “head down” through a progressive series of cues.
There are many ways to help our horses understand how to interact with us. Many of these techniques require a trainer to properly apply them to the average horse. The great thing about this particular exercise is that any level horseman and any level horse can safely work towards this and benefit from it!
Why Teach “Head Down”
Let’s start with why a “head down” cue is so helpful. Horses understand their own language. A horse with a high head carriage exhibits tension, fear and high energy which is a mental space in which a horse is resistant to us. A horse with a low head carriage exhibits relaxation, calm and contentment which is a mental space in which horses are most cooperative with us.
You cannot force a horse into calming down, but if we teach them a cue that means “drop your head” when they are in a calm state already, we can eventually apply this to more stressful moments. It is a way we can literally tell our horse, “Calm down and listen to me.” How many times have we all said that out loud to our horses? For myself, I can’t even count.
Step One
I like to start introducing the idea on the ground by applying pressure at the poll with my hand. It is helpful if your horse is already a little tired when you first try. A fresh horse will resist a lot when this exercise is new to him. The idea is, again, not to force the horse by getting impatient and pushing hard on him. This will inevitably result in your horse’s head flying up rather than relaxing down.
When he drops his head even the slightest bit, remove your hand from his head completely. Wait a brief moment, then repeat. Aim for improvement, not perfection in your first few sessions. Eventually, you want to be able to guide your horse’s head all the way down, nearly to a grazing position. You will need more patience with a head-shy horse, but this may be very useful in helping him understand what it means to handle his head without fear of being smothered or trapped.
Step Two
The next progression is to apply the same downward pressure on the poll using a halter and lead rope. This translates the pressure from your hand to the halter. Now you can ask your horse to drop his head for grooming or bridling and when leading him. I like to use this when turning out horses that are feeling a little silly. I turn them to face the gate, then ask them to drop their head before removing the halter. This is a great thing to train for children’s horses. It makes them wait to be released and they drop their head to short-person level in order to get turned loose. No horse is ripping away from your kid when they are trained this way!
Step Three
Once “head down” works with the halter, I will repeat the process with a bridle. I usually start on the left side and face my horse’s neck. I’ll take a feel of the left rein in my left hand and apply a light downward pressure on the bit until the horse offers to drop their head some. Repeat this until the horse understands and gives readily, then use the same process on the right side.
Finally, Riding It!
This is when you can begin applying the “head down” signal to your riding. Once your horse readily gives to the bit and understands to relax to pressure, you have set the stage for positive responses to bit signals. As with all horse training, this takes intentional focused practice to make it your horse’s norm.
In the saddle, you will need to begin getting your horse to give to the bit while moving. The angle of the rein completely changes once you are on your horse’s back. So you will need to pick a circle, first one direction and then the other, and work at using the inside rein contact to get your horse to give and drop his head. Most riders will find this easiest to do at a walk to start, but some higher energy horses will actually be more cooperative at a trot. Again, find the most giving mental space your horse has and work from there.
Don’t forget how important your inside leg is as you ask your horse to give to the rein while riding. Without it, your horse may not position his whole body for the circle and therefore may brace against your rein for fear of losing balance. It can be tempting to grab the rein roughly at moments if things feel too quick or inconsistent at first. Remember to keep your cool and be the calm and focus you want from your horse. You are not trying to overpower your horse. You are offering a steady, light pressure and allowing your horse time and space to figure out how to work with it.
Troubleshooting
I have met a number of horses who are just so braced that they refuse to consider dropping their head even at step one. If you are struggling, you can help your horse start giving to pressure by flexing him with a halter. For more information on flexing your horse and starting him to yield to pressures, click here. Basically, drawing your lead rope towards the saddle to bring your horse’s nose to the side a few times can help loosen him up before trying a downward pressure again.
Your objective is to get and keep your horse in a giving state of mind as much as possible while working towards your goal. If your horse is either freezing up or offering overly dramatic responses, you need to adjust your conversation with him accordingly and find an approach that keeps you both on speaking terms.
Final Thoughts
There are numerous practical applications for a “head down” cue which can help any horse be more pleasant to work with. As it is presently raining while I’m writing this, I’m reminded that it is a conversation that you can have with your horse right in his stall or in the barn aisle when riding isn’t a viable option. Just remember, it’s not magic, it’s communication. It will take time to build that common language. So rain or shine, you can still go have a good conversation with your horse!
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The best horsemen are those who can make most horses look tame. It takes no talent to confuse a horse into a wild frenzy.
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