How do I train and develop correct head carriage for pleasure driving?

Head and neck carriage in pleasure driving is evaluated as part of the overall picture of a correct, balanced driving horse, and the standard varies by class type — the elevated, arched neck of a park or fine harness horse is very different from the natural, relaxed carriage that country pleasure rewards. Understanding the specific carriage appropriate for the class type being competed in and developing the horse's carriage toward that standard prevents the common situation of a horse that is correctly developed for one type of pleasure driving but incorrectly presented in another. In country pleasure and general pleasure driving, the correct head carriage is natural and appropriate to the horse's conformation — a relaxed, slightly elevated neck with the face at or slightly in front of the vertical, giving the impression of a horse that is moving comfortably with a naturally correct carriage rather than one trained to a specific forced frame. This natural carriage is developed by training the horse to move forward from light driving aids with a soft back and relaxed topline, rather than by attempting to position the head through rein pressure alone. A head carriage that is too low suggests submission or fatigue rather than the pleasant, forward picture that pleasure driving rewards. One that is too high suggests tension or resistance rather than willing forward movement. The correctly carried head in pleasure driving is the result of correct overall training rather than the product of specific head position training, and a horse that is correctly developed through balance and forward work will typically carry its head correctly as a consequence of that work.