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 Expert
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Location: Somewhere around here | Are there any training aids I might use on a ex-reiner that has her head too low to the ground? |
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 Horsey Gene Carrier
Posts: 1888
Location: LaBelle, Florida | There is a bit with spoons that lay right where the curb would lay on the jaw. When the head goes down, the spoons apply pressure to encourage the head back up.
I had one horse that was behind the verticle, (my own fault). I had to ride him in this type a bit (Springsteen bit) for about a year before I could switch him back to a regular snaffle.
edited to change the name of the bit...had to hunt it up.
Edited by kasaj2000 2016-05-24 9:23 PM
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 Expert
Posts: 1384
Location: Kansas | While using your seat and legs to push your horse forward, gently use your fingers, hands and arms to fluff the head up. Repeat as needed
This can be done in a basic snaffle.
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | Sangria - 2016-05-24 11:28 PM While using your seat and legs to push your horse forward, gently use your fingers, hands and arms to fluff the head up. Repeat as needed
This can be done in a basic snaffle.
 I agree..... and vibrating reins and encouraging him to raise his frame up and letting out the reins I agree.. might take a lil while .. 3 piece snaffle.
Edited by Bibliafarm 2016-05-25 8:53 AM
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 It's not my fault I'm perfect
Posts: 13739
Location: Where the long tails flow, ND | I worked a reiner out of the 'reining' status last summer. It didn't take long to free her up, lots of leg and seat use to push her forward. Long trotting did wonders, she had zero concept of that the first time I asked her.
It was actually fun to see her progress, it's fun to free one up as oppose to the opposite, haha! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | Yes, your seat and arms. Drive and lift up shoulders and face, then release when they do. Might take a little time with one drilled to drop his head and don't dare move it. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | I see alot of people responding who have obviously never rode reiners. When you put pressure of any kind on the bit, they bridle up. NOT what you want to do. To free that horse up and bring her head up, it takes time, and alot of long trotting and galloping freely. You have to teach her to not travel in the little box she has been taught to travel in. Put as little of bridle as possible on her, dont push her up in the bridle with your legs and dont play with her reins or put pressure on because her head will come down and bridle up. Throw her away, dont mess with her and she will free up. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | Agree with 3corners: Stay OFF your horse's face.
Put her back in a basic snaffle (you don't want any leverage) and get out and do lots of ground-covering at a walk, trot, and lope. Leave your reins loose and stay off her face. Teach her to "be a horse again" and put her head where she wants it.
This is what I did to re-train a horse that was over-bridled and it worked surprisingly quickly for him. I had to teach him that when I did pick up on the reins, I did not expect him to drop his head to the ground and/or put his nose to his chest.
Any "training aids" would probably make the problem worse, as most training aides try to "bridle up" the horse more.
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 851
Location: West Texas | ThreeCorners - 2016-05-25 9:26 AM
I see alot of people responding who have obviously never rode reiners. When you put pressure of any kind on the bit, they bridle up. NOT what you want to do. To free that horse up and bring her head up, it takes time, and alot of long trotting and galloping freely. You have to teach her to not travel in the little box she has been taught to travel in. Put as little of bridle as possible on her, dont push her up in the bridle with your legs and dont play with her reins or put pressure on because her head will come down and bridle up. Throw her away, dont mess with her and she will free up.
They have been taught to drop their head down with a release of pressure when doing so. If you don't drive them up you cant lift shoulders. If you leave them alone, all you will be teaching them is to hollow their back. If you want to teach a horse to lift up, you have to drive and lift up, reiner or not. It may take a bit because they have often times been drilled pretty hard to drop down but basically you still have to lift up and do it properly. You just don't release them when they drop and keep lightly lifting up and releasing when they raise up. You still want to keep them giving to pressure and broke loose at the poll and jaw. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | I dont want to get into a "training debate". To much time and typing. We have reiners, and reined cowhorses, and barrel horses. I know full well what the training is and what makes them tick and what buttons do what and what each discipline needs, the differences, and what each doesnt need. So with that said, my best and shortest advice to the O.P. is go to youtube, type in Reining horse training video's, and learn the buttons and training methods used to get what responce. Once you know that, you will know what NOT to do to bring that head up and get her moving freely and in a natural position. You have to free her up, lengthen her stride, and get her moving natural first, before you can go to the happy medium. You cant win any money barrel racing with her traveling in the little box all bridled up and with her head between her knee's. You take a corner with her head between her knee's, and she will endo a$$ over tea kettle. The horse already knows collection and shoulder and hip control and traveling behind and below the virtical to the extreme. So now you have to UNDO that to the other extreme almost. As a side note, all the ones we have transitioned, we put in a side pull. Heck ride in a halter for a while if she will let you so you can get out of her face and out of her way. Reined cowhorses are much easier to transition because they have to work at speed, and because of that are not nearly as bridled up and low as reiners. They cant take a cow down the fence with their head between their knee's either or the result would be the same as trying to turn a barrel with their head down. A$$ over tea kettle. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| ThreeCorners - 2016-05-25 10:58 AM
I dont want to get into a "training debate". To much time and typing. We have reiners, and reined cowhorses, and barrel horses. I know full well what the training is and what makes them tick and what buttons do what and what each discipline needs, the differences, and what each doesnt need. So with that said, my best and shortest advice to the O.P. is go to youtube, type in Reining horse training video's, and learn the buttons and training methods used to get what responce. Once you know that, you will know what NOT to do to bring that head up and get her moving freely and in a natural position. You have to free her up, lengthen her stride, and get her moving natural first, before you can go to the happy medium. You cant win any money barrel racing with her traveling in the little box all bridled up and with her head between her knee's. You take a corner with her head between her knee's, and she will endo a$$ over tea kettle. The horse already knows collection and shoulder and hip control and traveling behind and below the virtical to the extreme. So now you have to UNDO that to the other extreme almost. As a side note, all the ones we have transitioned, we put in a side pull. Heck ride in a halter for a while if she will let you so you can get out of her face and out of her way. Reined cowhorses are much easier to transition because they have to work at speed, and because of that are not nearly as bridled up and low as reiners. They cant take a cow down the fence with their head between their knee's either or the result would be the same as trying to turn a barrel with their head down. A$$ over tea kettle.
This is by far the most accurate/helpful peace of advice I think you will receive. Especially the bit about riding in a side pull/lope rope/halter. Let her learn how to just be a horse again without picking at her. |
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Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | ThreeCorners - 2016-05-25 10:26 AM I see alot of people responding who have obviously never rode reiners. When you put pressure of any kind on the bit, they bridle up. NOT what you want to do. To free that horse up and bring her head up, it takes time, and alot of long trotting and galloping freely. You have to teach her to not travel in the little box she has been taught to travel in. Put as little of bridle as possible on her, dont push her up in the bridle with your legs and dont play with her reins or put pressure on because her head will come down and bridle up. Throw her away, dont mess with her and she will free up. I have.. why I said give reins but in the beginning you need to encourage by vibrating etc,, that doesnt mean take the reins and be in the mouth. thats a looser rein..I will add though I have not trained one.. I owned one and had the issue so Not as experienced Im sure as you..in that issue..we do however have the curled behind the bit issue with warmbloods .. moving freely is huge..
Edited by Bibliafarm 2016-05-25 6:46 PM
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Tdove - 2016-05-25 10:04 AM ThreeCorners - 2016-05-25 9:26 AM I see alot of people responding who have obviously never rode reiners. When you put pressure of any kind on the bit, they bridle up. NOT what you want to do. To free that horse up and bring her head up, it takes time, and alot of long trotting and galloping freely. You have to teach her to not travel in the little box she has been taught to travel in. Put as little of bridle as possible on her, dont push her up in the bridle with your legs and dont play with her reins or put pressure on because her head will come down and bridle up. Throw her away, dont mess with her and she will free up. They have been taught to drop their head down with a release of pressure when doing so. If you don't drive them up you cant lift shoulders. If you leave them alone, all you will be teaching them is to hollow their back. If you want to teach a horse to lift up, you have to drive and lift up, reiner or not. It may take a bit because they have often times been drilled pretty hard to drop down but basically you still have to lift up and do it properly. You just don't release them when they drop and keep lightly lifting up and releasing when they raise up. You still want to keep them giving to pressure and broke loose at the poll and jaw.
^^This!
And no, I've never shown reiners...but I've riden a few and made a dang nice barrel horse out of one. I kept my hands up his neck quite a bit and would bump his head up (using very light hands) while pushing him forward. I found using a perfect bit on him worked well, the bit action is different from a traditional snaffle. I ran him in either a perfect bit or a petska chain. Hand position is important to encourage them to bring it up. |
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Head too low