Fixing a head tilt

[Lipsmackerpony88]

I thought there was no better place to come here than you guys. As I've mentioned before Lynx has occasionally started tilting his head. Personally I'm of the belief that most contact issues are actually hind end or throughness issues. That being said you guys know that we are in the care of a great vet, chiropractor and saddle fitter. He just had his SI injected and that very well might solve this problem. It's just too early to see the full effects. I was told I won't see the full effects until at least two weeks from now.

But I think Dressage can be like physical therapy and or a diagnostic for this type of thing. He only tilts his head going one direction. Tracking left. Unfortunately I can't remember which way he tilts his head but I will pay attention later today.

I would say it's at its worst during a leg yield moving off the left leg. To me it feels like he just wants to rush through it and not really be through and cross over. Interestingly enough I haven't had any issues with shoulder in, either direction.

So if anybody has any exercises or ideas on how to continue to improve this that would be great! I definitely I'm keeping an eye on his teeth and could try a different bridle but honestly I think it's more of a weakness or soreness thing. Feels in the body to me. It's worse when he's not really in front of the leg or through. Which is what screams body to me.

[exvet]

It's difficult to give you appropriate advice without at least seeing a picture or preferably a video of when he's tilting his head to know if he's evading, crooked, etc. My guess just based on what you said is that he might be like most horses and crooked, failing to accept the right contact and not moving off your left leg into the right rein correctly so that he's in some ways maybe being 'pulled into a head tilt with his nose going left, right ear tilting more towards the right?'. This has been and always will be my issue with Junior - overbent left, failure to fill out the right rein and truly accept it so he fails to really use his right shoulder properly which often can result in a head tilt (nose to the left) if I'm not careful.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Exvet I'll try to get some pictures and videos soon. I'm not even sure which way he's tilting his head which would probably be very valuable information! But yes it just feels like he's avoiding moving into the right rein. And probably a straightness issue.

I tried to mostly ignore it and focus on my leg and if he's responding to the left leg enough. I think if I start fiddling too much with the contact I would get worse is my thought.

[Tanga]

Quilla wants to do this to the left. She tilts her nose in, thus outside ear down. I pick up the outside rein, bump her up off the inside shoulder, and need to straighten the neck more as the inclination is always to overbend. And I agree with exvet, it's usually the right rein horses don't want to go into contact as much.

I also think doing the scapula stretch before you ride and really getting in the and loosening it up and pushing into the spine all the way up and down to the ears and helping them bend down into you on their own really helps retrain all of those impulses. They both LOVE it. Make sure to do it both ways so you're doing both, but also so you can feel the difference between them and note how it feels when you do that and ride.

[exvet]

I agree with Tanga in doing stretches before riding. I've started being more diligent and consistent with doing them as my pre-ride routine and I think it's paying off.

[Flight]

It can be happening for all those reasons mentioned which results in you just holding onto that rein too much.
So if you let go of the rein that is pulling the nose over/up (opposite ear will be lower) straighten the head tilt with the other rein and move the whole horse straight for a few steps and start again.

I'm guessing in that leg yield you describe, you'll just have to accept less sideways for a while until you get the straightness. Less holding of the left rein and half halt/slow down the right shoulder with your right rein.

[Fzybtfrm]

This is a problem I am also having with my youngster. He tilts to the right when cantering left, with his nose. He is only 4 so I am hoping it will resolve as he gets stronger. Doesn't do it at the trot or walk. I try to hold a bit more on the right rein and ask for softness with the left rein, which works momentarily. Timely topic for me!

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Well when I ride him yesterday he didn't tilt his head. That being said we were mostly stuck on probably like a 30-35 meter circle. Two reiners just moved into the barn and they were dominating what is supposed to be the dressage arena. So no riding in there with them doing sliding stops and running like maniacs. So we were in the jump arena (My daughter was riding with me) and then two ladies came in to lunge in the same arena so we were kind of squashed in the middle.

But even The little bit of leg yield we were able to do it the walk in a bit of a square pattern, he did not seem to tilt his head. So I'm wondering if that was a sign of the SI discomfort. It was definitely worse on his left side. And he would head till when going to the left which to me makes little bit of sense. More taxing on the inside leg...

[StraightForward]

It would make sense that if he's not holding farther back, he can be more relaxed through his poll and not do the head tilt. Fingers crossed it's a problem resolved by the SI injections!

[Ponichiwa]

Had a trainer once say the nose points towards the weaker hind leg. And then the diagnosis begins: is it mechanical, which means time off and/or intervention, or muscular, which means more gymnasticizing exercises and strengthening and all that dressage stuff.

Quite a few of my horses over the years have had a tilt tendency early on in their riding careers that vanished with time, training/straightness, and building muscle.

[blob]

does he do it when lunging, at liberty, or on a loose rein? If no, then IMO head tilts usually come when the horse isn't forward enough on that side for the connection he's being asked for-- a bit of hand-leg disconnect. You likely either need a steadier rein or more leg (or both) on that side.

[Fzybtfrm]

Appreciate all these insightful tips. My pony is 4 so I'm not going to dwell on it too much , as I am also hoping it will disappear with increased strengthening. He definitely tilts towards the weaker hind leg.

[Tanga]

Had a trainer once say the nose points towards the weaker hind leg. And then the diagnosis begins: is it mechanical, which means time off and/or intervention, or muscular, which means more gymnasticizing exercises and strengthening and all that dressage stuff.

Quite a few of my horses over the years have had a tilt tendency early on in their riding careers that vanished with time, training/straightness, and building muscle.

This is correct. Most people and horses are right sided, stronger on the right, so the left is weaker and head tilt. And I agree, conditioning is the answer to everything!

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Thanks guys! It's not something I've seen him do at Liberty but on the lunge he's just doesn't really want to go straight either way so hard to evaluate there (I don't usually lunge because I just never have found it helpful for him.)

I will say it seems nearly non-existent lately. Another boarder commented to me that he looked more supple and flexible in his body today. So that good if so.

I do find it interesting that the head tilt doesn't present in a shoulder in but more exclusively in a leg yield. Which maybe is just all me! My find shoulder in easier to ride than leg yield. It's very silly but it's always been the case.

But hopefully it continues to be NOT present in our rides but if it pops back I'll definitely come to this and continue to use the tips.

[Chisamba]

Every horse ans e ery human is either dexterous or sinister. ( right or left handed) when we ride we try to train ourselves and our horses to be ambidextrous. Think of riding as physiotherapy.

My process is thev3 Rs. Recognize, repair, relax.
The tools to recognize are somewhat dependant on how you train but always related to how you're horse responds to stimulus. Inside bend is initial suppling. But is the horse overbends it's avoiding stepping from inside leg into inside rein. If the horse does not bend easily, it's avoiding stepping forward into the outside rein. If the horse is heavy in the left rein it's avoiding stepping forward into the right rein, if it's heavy in the right rein it's avoiding stepping forward into the left rein. Tipping the head is usually an attempt to lighten one of the reins. Or avoid true bend.

Whatever the horse reveals, work on the supple, strength or forward based on what you have recognized in the reluctance of the horse.
By all means so your therapies and all but if your horse is well enough to be ridden, then recognize, repair, relax.

[Lipsmackerpony88]

Thank you Chisamba, those are all great points! The head tilt has gotten much better but is still slightly there for moments so I'll keep all this in mind.