Lowering the head

Goal

Understand why a low-carried head belongs with relaxation and how to encourage that calm.

Before you start

• The horse stands calmly and respects your space

What you need

• Halter and lead rope

The horse's body language

A horse that relaxes lowers its head, chews, sighs and has soft eyes and ears. These are the signs you want to encourage with calm, a soft voice and stroking.

Common mistakes

• Pulling the head down by force
• Forcing the posture instead of encouraging it
• Pushing on when the horse is tense

Safety

• Never force the posture; work with calm and reward.
• Stand beside the head, not directly in front of it.

Stop at once if

• The horse becomes tense or throws its head up
• The horse threatens

Supervision

Recognised learning theory describes a low head as a relaxed posture to encourage, not to force. Teaching a cue for it should be done with an experienced instructor, because you work around the head.

More about this

Research-based learning theory lists lowering the head as an example of a relaxed posture to encourage, along with stroking and a calm voice. It is about helping calm to arise, never about forcing the head down.

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