Why Your Horse Is Tossing Its Head

Is your horse tossing its head while you ride? Head tossing can range from annoying bobbing to dangerous head throwing and shaking. As your horse is throwing its head, you may have poor control. In the show ring, you’ll be passed over by the judge if your horse is tossing its head in many performance classes like equitation and pleasure. 

Why Horses Toss Their Heads

Horses toss or bob their heads for a number of reasons. It’s important to find the cause before resorting to a harsher bit, martingale or tie-down. It’s very unfair to your horse if you’ve tied its head into place, so it can’t escape pain or discomfort. So, let's look at the reasons: 

• Dental: Often a horse's teeth wear unevenly and can form uncomfortable hooks and edges that cause the horse to scrape his cheeks or tongue while he chews. Dental problems like this can make holding a bit very uncomfortable. Most horses need their teeth checked and rasped (called floating) at least once a year, while some horses may need to have their teeth checked as frequently as every six months. Dental issues are the first thing to look for when trying to solve head shaking or tossing problems. Extra teeth that grow in front of the chewing teeth, called wolf teeth, can also cause problems with the bit. Your vet can advise you on how to deal with this.
• Bits: Check to see that the bit fits comfortably in the horse's mouth. Is it too narrow and pinching, too thick, or too much of a mouthful? Is the curb strap too loose allowing a curb bit to rotate too far in the horse's mouth? Is it too high and tight against the horse’s gums or lips or too low and clanking on its front teeth? Is the bit too harsh, or does it have harsh edges or rust and the horse