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Why do horses bob their heads when they walk?

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For the same reason you swing your arms back and forth when walking or running, even though they don't reach the ground and can't offer much help: they're connected to the legs in ways not always obvious. The horse's neck is closely connected to the locomotor system. read more

BTW, some domestic horses CAN walk without bobbing their heads. For example, working a lot with very short side reins (that aren’t elastic and forgiving like the ones on the rider’s hands) can force the horse to learn how not to bob his head in order to avoid jabbing himself in the mouth with every step he takes. read more

Horses cannot focus their eyes in the way humans do. They have to change the angle of their heads if they want to see close objects clearly. That's why they bob their heads up and down as you come near. read more

Some horses seem to use their head a lot more than others at the walk; my morgans hardly bob their head at all! I find that sometimes a horse that is heavy on its front end will bob its head more than when you get them balanced on the rump, and a forward walk will get more of a bob than a pokey one, but I also think it can be a habit (just like some people swing their arms when they walk, some don't as much). read more

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