Has anyone had luck curing head tossing from a bridle change? I have had his whole head X-rayed and found no reason for the reaction. A friend suggested a comfort bridle. Any one used this with success?
So many questions…why, what, etc etc. My mare improved dramatically with a bit change, and better riding!
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Hi there. Head tossing may or may not have anything to do with the head.
There are many things that can cause it.
For many horses, it is more complex than changing a bit or bridle. You can try that and see if helps, but you may need to look for other causes.
we also may be better able to help you if you tell us something about the horse’s age and history, how long you’ve had him, how long you’ve been riding, any other vet and dental evaluations etc.
Have his teeth been floated?
So I tend to think of head tossing as reactionary head movement expressing displeasure with the rider’s hands. Sometimes a bit or bridle can be the irritation, teeth needing done, etc. I think of head shaking as being rapid head movement due to some form of discomfort not tied to the rider.
For head tossing by my definition - riding the horse up and open so it can move freely has been my biggest resolution. My gelding wasn’t a tosser, but a bit change made a huge difference for him in contact - and if he were the tossing type, it would have helped. He’s now in a nathe, and far happier. He used to duck any time he was displeased with the bit, which included at times when on a loose rein… and the nathe made him comfortable enough to actually trust contact and reach into it.
For my greenbean, head tossing is an option if she’s unhappy about being asked to work harder or if I’m not right in the contact. Since she’s only learning about going on the bit, she is more likely to toss her head - but the more steadily through I get her, it goes away. I always look to myself first as the cause of issues - but if my greenie had the kind of bit issues my gelding had, certainly I would expect finding the right bit (or bridle, if it were irritating her) to help.
So short answer is no, but the combination of my two horses mentioned above means I absolutely believe if it’s not the rider’s fault that tack changes can make a difference in head tossing. And we always want our horses as comfortable as possible, so if you think a bit or bridle may be an issue, reason out what would be a good option.
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In my experience it is almost always the riders fault originally but once it’s a habit it can be hard to break. I would suggest taking the bit out and riding on a loose rein in a hackamore orother bitless until the habit goes away and also fixing your own hands before going back to riding on contact with a bit.
Perhaps check the fit of your current bridle before you try anything else? Sadly, it is rare to see a correctly fitted bridle these days. As the horse has most of its senses in its head, there are a lot of nerves which an ill fitted bridle can irritate. Commonly, the noseband is too high on the face, touching the cheekbone rather than 2 fingers below. The noseband is commonly either too tight or too loose and both will affect the action of a bit. Frequently, the browband is too small which pulls the bridle into the base of the ears and applies pressure in a very sensitive place. A trendy droopy one can still be too small. Often the cheekpieces are pulled almost into the eye by the browband. Commonly buckles rest on the bones above the horses eye rather than being level with the eye on the flat of the cheek. Back in the days of the dinosaurs, I was taught two fingers for every measurement to fit a bridle except the throatlatch which was loose enough to fit the width of your palm. But even the FEI can’t decide how tight a noseband should be, so it isn’t easy to fit a bridle!
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Two things to investigate:
1 - Teeth. My mare has a very small mouth and gets nasty ridges. She’s also a delicate flower, so is very sensitive. If I’m not 100% on top of her teeth floating schedule, she’ll let me know by engaging in obnoxious head tossing. Can’t blame her…mouth sores hurt. So, make sure his teeth are OK.
2 - Allergies. A friend has a pony who was a terrible head tosser. Apparently, he had allergies, especially in arenas from the dust. She now rides (and shows, with proper permissions) in one of those nets that goes over his nose. Head tossing is no longer a problem.
Good luck! As others have said, there are a ton of things that could cause this issue.
I have had the same exact experiences as described by eponacelt, with 2 different horses. When a horse does this they are telling you they are uncomfortable. Good for you for seeking help for him.
My previous horse had seasonal allergies. I started him on spirulina and rode in a nose net. Problem solved.
My current mare began violently tossing her head last fall. I did not suspect teeth because I had them done 8 months prior. The equine dentist was coming out to do some of the other horses so I decided to go ahead and get her teeth done while they were there. Well, imagine how horrible I felt when they found several mouth ulcers due to razor sharp points! They said with 5 being the worst they see, she was at least a 4. It seems that the previous vet who did her teeth did not do a good job and my sensitive red mare is one that will need to be done every 6 months. She got a few days off and then the head tossing and tension completely stopped.
Hope you are able to find the cause for your boy.
Horses will toss their head if they have back pain or pain behind the scapula in the wither area. I have had good results riding my horse in a micklem bridle that is not adjusted too tightly. Cervical changes can also cause head tossing because the horse is trying to find a comfortable spot to be, but if it only happens under saddle then I’d look for perhaps an ill fitting saddle and maybe try a micklem if you can borrow something to see if it makes a difference.
Don’t rule out Head Tossing Syndrome, which is not an uncommon syndrome in horses. Misfiring facial nerves make the horse suddenly toss it’s head to escape the feeling. My horse developed this (diagnosed by my vet) and is generally fine with a nose net except for seemingly heavy pollen times of the year. Afflicted horses are triggered by different inputs, hence the categorization “syndrome”.
This is 100% independent of your riding skills, it is due to physiology. I disagree with some of the above posters that head tossing is considered a function of the rider. Your vet can help you get to the bottom of this.
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We have a mare that started head tossing/shaking in February with a new bridle. It turned out the browband was too snug, but she hasn’t stopped shaking. Apparently she has done this in the past before we got her. She flings her whole neck around even in turnout with no halter on, so definitely not rider error!
She had her teeth done in November but we still had a different person do them again. Nothing major and didn’t improve the shaking.
The vet who does chiropractic work, is fantastic and has helped other issues hasn’t helped with the shaking.
We lunged her at night in the dark and she still head shook, so not the photic response either.
Our main vet also doesn’t have a definitive answer, but she doesn’t like the Tota bridles nor the new Stubben bridle.
We haven’t tried the nose net or allergy meds yet, so we have more to try still!
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So many things or could be.
I think checking the fit of the bridle, bit, and saddle is a simple place to start. Along with accessing your riding and the horse’s teeth.
I have a horse that head tosses if his saddle doesn’t fit (too narrow) but also when he gets really sweaty on his head and neck. He’ll toss around while cooling out because he is both itchy and a queen.
But it could be pain in so many places. I also have a horse that will head toss a little bit going down hills because he has a previous stifle injury/weakness that bothers him down hills…but we have to come down when we go up and he’s otherwise happy on the trail.
So it can be a variety things.
How much does she do this in turnout without a halter? Could it be headshaking and the transgeminal nerve? Crossing my fingers that it isn’t. Good luck!
When being longed wearing that bridle does he toss his head?
Different bridles put stress in different locations. If it is truly to bridle alone, he will continue to head toss, on the longe.
Recent study identified head shaking/tossing as predominently releated to musculoskeletal pain
https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2019/03/27/head-shaking-study-musculoskeletal-pain
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My go to for any horse that has a head shake is check their teeth, their bridle fit, and then allergies. One of mine was best on maximum dose Echinacea during spring.
@KyrieNZ Where do you buy your echinacea? I had one horse coughing last year and a different one coughing this year. The vet both times recommended Zytec. Didn’t work on the first horse; is working on the second horse. Thanks!
Yes. I am a professional bridle fitter and deal with these matters daily. Can you post a side photo of your horses head in theur current bridle and a video of the behavior?
then i can make some suggestions.
