Training Tip: Help With a Mare Tossing Her Head and Pigrooting

Question: We have a 4-year-old mare that likes to put her head down a lot in a trot and throw it about and she throws in a pigroot at times. How do we stop her doing that without pulling on her mouth all the time?

Answer: Assuming there’s no medical issue, your horse lowering her head and shaking it about and kicking out (or pigrooting as we Australians like to call it) is just her copping an attitude and throwing a fit. You’re right to not want to get into a pulling match with her. Instead, focus on earning her respect and teaching her to be soft and responsive to your cues.

If you haven’t, take your mare through the Fundamentals Series, starting with the groundwork and working your way through the riding exercises. If you follow the exercises in order and complete each one, you’ll find that this problem will disappear.

Riding exercises that will be especially beneficial to your horse will be One Rein Stops and the Cruising Lesson. Those two lessons will teach your mare to move forward at the gait you set her at and maintain that gait on a loose rein until you tell her otherwise.

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