I have an arabian, but he keeps his head low. How do I get him to look like this when I'm riding? How do I get him to bring his head up?



Here is a video of me riding my horse: clicky
-sorry it's so shakey!-

Thanks!

What I see from the video is that your horse is strung out. He does not have his shoulders elevated and isn't using his hind end. I would suggest slowing him down to a sitting trot and then taking a tighter hold, not too tight, on his mouth, and pushing him back up with your legs, and tapping him lightly with a crop as you do so to get him in a rounder frame. If you find he is hanging on you, then I would use side draw reins clipped high on your saddle.
Slowing him down and then *pushing* him back up will get him to use his body better. Once he is rounder, he should use his neck better.
Make sure the you do not hang on his mouth in this exercise. Give a small release when he responds to pressure and slows down, then pick up again and push him forward, and the give another small release when he responds.
You can also do figure eights at the trot where you bend him slightly to the inside and push his inside shoulder to the outside off of your leg. Then slow him down when you switch directions, and push him off of your other leg on the other circle. This will get him to elevate his front end and get rounder in the bridle.

I feel side draw reins would really help his headset, clip them high and use them as an addition to your straight reins when you are bending and slowing him down. You want to feel him "rock back" so to speak when you slow down, and bring his entire front end up a bit, while not pushing his nose out of position.

Hope this makes sense

Thanks for the exercises! I'll try them next time I ride.
I've never heard of 'side' draw reins, but I've used Harness Draw Reins on him before (I no longer have access to them though). Are these side draw reins?

I only have an english saddle, so the only places I can connect the side reins to are: middle of girth, girth buckles and the D-rings. Should I clip the reins to the D-Rings?

For the figure eight exercise, how big should the circles be? What kind of figure eight (a snowman shape or shape? Sorry for all the questions! I just want to make sure I do it right.

Any more advice?

No problem, I hope this stuff helps.

As for side draw reins, any long reins with snaps will do. In a hunt saddle you can clip to the girth buckle, where it attaches to the saddle, that's where I usually put them. And also put your straight reins through the top ring on your martingale if you have a 10 ring.
I made my own draw reins with western reins with ties and scissor snaps, much cheaper then Schneiders fyi
Here is a picture of high side draws, you can see them attached to the saddle, and running through the bit. Also the straight reins are through the martingale.



Normally I do round circle figure eights so that you have a straight ride for a few strides in the middle. Just like attaching two round circles together.

The main thing I can say that I have to work on when I do these exercises is to not let the horse run through my hands when I push them back up, make sure he respects the barrier and will slow down again when you ask.

I understand now.

Oh, and thanks again! Very pretty horse by the way.

no problem!!
Thanks, that horse has definitely stolen a piece of my heart.

Please tell me whether this helps or not