i need help training my horse. he is a 4 year old and no matter what i use he always sticks his head up in the air. any suggestions on keeping his head down??

try soft following gentle hands placed in the correct position which would be in line with his mouth, lots of bending, circles and trying to work him into the bit slowly. Use half halts and you may have to ask often at first, and using your seat and legs driving him into the bit. It could also be a bit issue, my tb mare was very unhappy with her regular snaffle and I went to a french link and it made a ton of difference. I would assume you also had teeth and mouth looked at and there is no back pain. These are the methods I used with my mare and she has really come along.

hi there,
Have you tried lungeing him in a shambon?
I have had really good results with that, as it helps them develop the right muscles due to correct head and neck position, without beeing harsh on them in any way as it works due to pressure on the poll.
I used it on a fresian cross TB that was brocken in wrong and had to learn all over again! Try lungeing him in one for 2 to 3 sessions a week, make sure that it is fitted correctly!
Also keep a good contact on the outside hand for him to lean on and spunge him softly on the inside when you ride. Young horses are like little kids that need to know that someone is there holding their hand as they cross the road.

Perhaps you have the wrong bit. Also he is young to be trying to collect. You need to develop and muscle his back properly so that it can adequately support a rider. Sometimes horses have teeth problems, particularly four year olds as they have not yet lost all their baby teeth. Try getting an equine dentist to check his teeth.

Feet can also cause a horse to lift his head - usually this is a symptom of discomfort of some kind. Check that his saddle fits properly and is not pinching him somewhere.

I have started a blog on training horses. Go and have a look - I will be updating regularly with articles on training and related issues. Comments and questions are welcomed.

http://www.traininghorsesthenaturalway.blogspot.com

Have you had the horses teeth floated and made sure the wolf teeth have been pulled? Horse starting at the age of 2 until they are 5 years should have their teeth done yearly as they are continue to shed caps or baby teeth until they are five. After their 5 year old float they can normally go on an every other year program as long as motorized tools are used.

80-90% of young horses who throw their heads or hold them up high is due to dental issues. Most horses should have their first float before a bit is ever put in their mouths. I had a client whose horse had to be done every 6 months for the first five years, he was just soo sensitive to the sharp points, that he became a bear to ride and as soon as his teeth were done he was pack to his sweet self.

But once a horse has learned to push through a bit, fling their heads, or what ever else they might do. IT will take them a little while to figure out that is doesn't hurt, when you ask something of them and it should get better. But their are those horses that once they learn something it can be very hard to break them of it.

As everyone already said, look for an underlying reason saddle,bit,feet... Then pay attention to when it happens and although no one wants to admit to being an average rider, pay attention to you. Does he do it when turning a certain way,only on transitions,in a ring or on a hack. Does he do it with every rider or only certain riders. If the riders balance is slightly off the horse will imitate the rider, so if you sit hard on transitions because of balance his head will go up, if the riders legs[thighs] are tight against the saddle to try to keeo from falling off the horse will get agitated and fuss with his head. If a great rider it could be nervousness/apprehension. You say the horse is just a 4 yr old. If the rider is worried about what may happen[ its windy,the dogs out,he didn't eat yet,he doesn't like yellow...] He will pick up on that and not have a calm ride either. Hope you figure it out. Good luck