Do you have one of those horses that throw up its head or flinches away when you touch its face? This annoying habit can be trained away in a few easy sessions.
Prior to any training session be sure you have a ground safe horse. This means that the horse respects your personal space, does not try to bite, strike, or kick. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes to protect your feet, and always be aware of your horse’s body language. If the horse exhibits any dangerous behaviors such as striking, kicking, biting, or pushing you with its body; consult a training professional because the horse is not ground safe. Put safely first!
Equipment needed:
Halter
Lead rope (6-8 ft)
Patience
Time (be dedicated in spending whatever amount of time necessary to make progress)
Training Session #1
Halter your horse and attach the lead rope. Take the horse to a quiet training area where there will not be a lot of distractions. Be sure there are no obstructions that could cause an unsafe situation. The ideal training area is a small arena or round pen, but these are not critical. Hold the lead rope in one hand.
Stand to the side of your horse near his head or neck. Do not stand directly in front of your horse. Put your arm about shoulder high, bent at the elbow, palm out like you are going to push something. Push your hand toward the horses head but do not touch him. If the horse flinches back DO NOT STOP, but keep up the pushing motion. If the horse backs up, just move with him, keeping the same safe distance. The moment the horse stops reacting, stop the pushing movement. Repeat this exercise until the horse no longer reacts to your arm motions.
Switch sides and repeat the exercise on the opposite side.
Training Session #2
Run through all of the training session #1, working through any problem areas prior to training session #2. Heed all safety measures of previous exercises.
Halter your horse and attach the lead rope. Take the horse to a quiet training area where there will not be a lot of distractions. Be sure there are no obstructions that could cause an unsafe situation. The ideal training area is a small arena or round pen, but these are not critical. Hold the lead rope in one hand.
Today you will begin touching your horse. Place your hand on the horse’s withers (where the mane ends and the back begins) and slowly slide your hand towards the horse’s head in a gentle rubbing motion (try not to ruffle the hair backwards). The very moment the horse reacts by raising up his head, retreat your hand back to the wither area. Slowly start working your hand up toward the horses head. Always retreat when the horse reacts and immediately start moving forward again. The idea is to desensitize the horse to your touch, making him more tolerant with each attempt. Repeat this scenario until you can rest your hand at the poll (where the ears and neck meet). When the horse will accept this on one side without any reaction, then switch sides and repeat the process on the other side.
Training Session #3
Run through all of the training sessions #1-2, working through any problem areas prior to training session #3. Heed all safety measures of previous exercises.
Begin the session by a brief refresher of training session #1 and #2. Horse must be accepting of the first two training sessions before proceeding to session # 3.
Today we will handle the horse’s ears. Standing at the side of your horse’s shoulder place your palm flat against the horse’s neck. Slide hand up to the poll area, lightly cup the ear on the side nearest to you. DO NOT grab the ear. Just lightly cup it in your hand. If horse reacts retreat to the comfortable area on his neck and begin again. Repeat until the horse is accepting of having his ear lightly cupped in your hand. Now gently wiggle the ear in your cupped hand. Repeat this procedure until the horse is relaxed. Switch sides and repeat the procedure on the other side.
Keep in mind that with a head shy horse this third training session may take a while. Be prepared to spend the time to get it done.
Training Session #4
Run through all of the training sessions #1-3, working through any problem areas prior to training session #4. Heed all safety measures of previous exercises.
For the fourth training session you will be placing your hand at the horse’s poll and then sliding it around the ear to the area between the eyes and down the front of the nose. Remember to retreat at the first sign of a reaction from your horse. Repeat the movement in small steps until your horse accepts the hand being rested on the poll, and then moving softly down the center of the head to the nose.
Run through all of the training sessions #1-4, working through any problem areas prior to training session #5. Heed all safety measures of previous exercises.
We will now attempt to get the horse to lower its head on cue. Place one hand on the horse’s poll. Have your lead rope attached to halter in the other hand. Put gentle downward pressure on the lead rope and poll at the same time. Don’t jerk the rope, just an easy steady pressure. As soon as the horse makes a move to bring his head down, release all pressure. Praise and reward the horse. Gradually repeat this procedure until the horse will nearly touch his nose to the ground on cue. Repeat these exercises working from the other side of the horse.
Once you and your horse have mastered these steps your will no longer have a head shy horse. Look at the time spent with your horse as a satisfying opportunity to prove your horse training skills. You will find with time, repetition and patience that your horse will be much more enjoyable to work with, and the training sessions will help you to build trust with your horse in other areas. Remember to put safety first, and if you don’t have the confidence or ability to attempt training, find a reputable horse trainer to take on the training sessions.
