Head Lowering with Vaquero
Ahhhhhh... head lowering on command is such a great tool to have in your toolbox when working with a horse—any horse, of any size or age. Especially a tall, 16-hand horse named Vaquero (and I’m a tall 5 ft 10 in woman)!
Head lowering is useful for so many things: putting fly masks on or off, brushing those itchy ears, putting the bridle or halter on or off, or just lowering his head so you can kiss your dear horse on the forehead and tell him how much you love him!
Beyond the practical reasons, head lowering also releases endorphins and calms your horse. It’s a very valuable skill to teach—and clicker training your horse to lower his head is a fun, creative, and positive way to build that behavior.
There are many head lowering games... and besides, when you practice head lowering together, you’re also telling your horse, “I’m the leader. I’m looking out for danger. You can relax with me.” It’s a beautiful bonding experience. And it’s just head lowering...
Before You Begin:
Your horse will need to be familiar with the clicker and complete the introductory targeting lesson from my Click, Treat, Reward system. (Look for an abbreviated version in the blog post where I soak Vaquero’s hooves—or if you’re local, come to a clicker course at my farm or a nearby farm. Or contact me, and I can come teach you the first lesson of targeting, which is done in a very specific way. It’s an essential foundation for clicker training!)
Once that’s established, you’re ready to begin:
STEP 1
Place your hand with calm pressure (adjust based on your horse’s comfort) on his poll. Then wait for him to lower his head.
Now, what if your horse doesn’t like having his head touched?
That was Vaquero during our first week together, when I was soaking his hooves. So I planted the seed for head lowering while brushing him. Every time I had the brush near his poll, he’d get a click and a treat. I did that for about a week whenever I groomed him.
This day was the first time I actually asked for head lowering with my hand on his poll—and he did great!! He’s so smart and confident, and we’re on a lovely learning path together. (Scroll down to see the results...)
STEP 2
Wait for the lowering. Start by clicking and rewarding even a small downward movement. Gradually work your way up to clicking when the head gets lower.
Vary when you click, too. Sometimes click when he lowers just a little, sometimes when he goes really low, or wait until he holds his head down longer. This helps train your horse to really pay attention and wait for you, instead of anticipating. It keeps things interesting and keeps him from getting bored.
I had previously trained Radu (my extra tall guy at 17.2 hands!) to head lower with a visual cue: I’d raise my hand in the air and point my index finger downward. It was so helpful—and really fun!
STEP 3
The delicious treat! This rewards your horse for listening and cooperating. Vaquero loves his cookies!
Remember to deliver the treat in a way that keeps your horse balanced—his head should be in front of his shoulder. In Vaquero’s case, he could step his front left hoof back a bit and straighten his neck more before I actually release the cookie. (We’ll work on that as we practice!)
Being specific in this kind of training is great—but don’t worry about making mistakes, especially during the “learning phase.” As Vaquero improves his head lowering, I’ll also help him stand better for his treats. I want to keep him excited to learn!