Why does my horse’s head go up?

How to Help Your Horse Relax in Trot and Canter When They Carry Their Head in the Air

Many riders experience the frustration of a horse that raises its head in trot or canter, hollowing the back and feeling tense or unbalanced. While it’s tempting to try to “fix” this with the reins, the real solution comes from improving your horse’s comfort, balance, and confidence.

At Rider Guider, we’ve created audio lessons that talk you through exercises step by step while you’re in the saddle, helping you work through exactly this challenge. Here, we’ll share some of the key ideas behind those lessons — so you can understand why it happens, and what to do about it.

Why Horses Put Their Head in the Air

When a horse lifts its head and resists the contact, it’s usually because of one of the following reasons:

Discomfort: Dental problems, an ill-fitting bit, or saddle issues can all make stretching uncomfortable.
Lack of Strength: Horses that are still building topline find it harder to carry themselves in balance.
Rider Influence: Hands that are heavy or inconsistent can make a horse defensive.
Balance & Confidence: Especially in canter, horses often raise the head because they feel unsteady.

The important thing to remember is that head carriage is a symptom, not the problem itself. Our aim is to address the cause.

Encouraging Relaxation in Trot

In our guided trot audio, we focus on rhythm, circles, and transitions to help the horse soften. Here are the key takeaways:

Ride from the seat and legs, not the hands. Create energy from behind and catch it softly in the rein.
Invite stretch, don’t force it. Soften your hand slightly forward, as if opening a door for the horse to walk through.
Use circles for balance. A 20-metre circle with correct bend encourages the inside hind to step under, making it easier for the horse to relax the topline.
Transitions within the trot. Riding a few strides more forward, then a few strides steadier, teaches your horse to listen and balance without tension.

Even if you only get a few strides of softness, that’s progress. Reward the try, and those moments will build into longer stretches.

Building Balance in Canter

Canter is often where head-in-the-air problems feel most obvious, because it’s the gait where horses can feel least balanced. In our canter audio, we guide you through exercises that promote steadiness and suppleness:

Prepare the transition well. A rushed trot leads to a hollow canter. Sit tall, give clear aids, and allow the horse time to find balance.
Focus on rhythm. Count out the canter stride in your head — one-two-three — and let your seat steady the tempo.
Ride circles in canter. A 20-metre circle encourages bend and helps the inside hind step under, supporting the back.
Play with stride length. A few strides forward, then a few shorter, teaches the horse to listen and balance. If the head comes up, think about steadying with your seat rather than your hands.
Use serpentines with simple changes. Coming back to trot and then cantering again on the new lead develops suppleness and attention.

Praise every effort your horse makes to stretch forward and down in canter. Even small improvements show that they’re learning to carry themselves with more confidence.

Key Rider Checkpoints

Throughout both gaits, keep checking in with yourself:

Are your shoulders relaxed?
Are your hands even and steady, not pulling?
Are you breathing and following the rhythm with your seat?

Often, the biggest change starts with the rider. A relaxed, consistent rider makes it far easier for the horse to soften.

Takeaway

A horse that carries its head in the air is telling you it feels unbalanced, tense, or uncomfortable. The solution isn’t to pull the head down, but to create the right conditions for the horse to seek softness on its own. Circles, transitions, rhythm, and rider relaxation are your best tools.

That’s exactly what we guide you through in the Rider Guider App. With 10-minute audios lessons designed to talk you through exercises step by step, you’ll never be left guessing what to do next. You’ll hear constant reminders of what to feel, how to correct common mistakes, and how to reward your horse at the right moment.

📲 Download Rider Guider on the App Store & Play Store today and try it free — and start turning those head-in-the-air moments into strides of softness and confidence.