How do you address head tossing in a young horse that starts during the first weeks of riding?

Head tossing that develops during the first weeks of riding a young horse is a diagnostic signal that something in the training setup is producing discomfort or confusion, and identifying the correct cause before applying a training correction is the most important first step. The physical causes must be ruled out first. A bit that is too wide is pinching the horse's lips against its teeth on rein contact. A bit that is too low is touching the teeth. A bit that is too high is creating constant lip tension. A curb chain or noseband that is too tight is adding pressure at the wrong moments. Dental points or wolf teeth that the bit contacts are causing pain. Any of these produce head tossing that will not resolve through training correction because the underlying cause is physical discomfort. If physical causes are ruled out, Anderson addresses head tossing as a training response — the horse has learned that tossing its head produces release of rein contact. This learning happens when riders release their contact in response to head tossing, even involuntarily. The correction requires maintaining soft but consistent contact through the toss and releasing only when the head returns to a quiet position. Releasing during the toss rewards the toss. Releasing during quiet rewards quiet. In very young horses — first and second rides — some head movement is normal and should be distinguished from established head tossing. A horse that moves its head and neck loosely while learning to balance with a rider is expressing normal adjustment to the new weight, not a training problem. A horse that specifically tosses its head against rein contact repeatedly has already begun to develop the evasion pattern that needs to be addressed. Parelli's approach to head tossing in young horses emphasizes checking the bit fit first, then addressing rider hand position if the bit is correct. Many young horses develop head tossing in response to unsteady, inconsistent hands rather than in response to a specific training demand, and helping the rider develop steadier hands through position work often resolves the head tossing without any specific correction to the horse.