07/25/2026
Well Said!!
STOP CHASING A HEAD SET... TRAIN THE WHOLE HORSE
I truly believe two words have ruined more horses than almost anything else in our industry... "Head Set."
Somewhere along the way, people have become obsessed with where a horse's head is instead of understanding why it's there.
So what happens?
We reach for draw reins, tie-downs, martingales, leverage bits, nosebands, gadgets, drugs, and stronger equipment... all to force a horse into a picture that we humans thinks look correct.
But here's the question...
What if the horse's head is only a symptom of what's happening through the rest of its body?
A horse can't truly carry itself correctly if it isn't engaging its hindquarters, lifting its back, moving with rhythm, balance, and relaxation.
You can pull a horse's head into position all day long, but that doesn't mean you've created collection.
In fact, many horses learn to tuck their nose while becoming tighter through their back, stiffer in their body, and and that makes it harder to communicate with them.
I'd rather spend my time teaching a horse to move correctly than teaching it to simply look correct.
When the feet, shoulders, rib cage, back, and hindquarters start working together... the head and neck usually take care of themselves.
I'm not saying every training aid is bad. In the right hands, for the right horse, at the right time, some have their place. But often times the people who know how to use tools like draw reins never need them because they know how to achieve the same results without them.
No piece of equipment will ever replace good timing, feel, balance, and horsemanship.
Quit chasing the head... and start training the whole body !!
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