Head tossing covers a wide range of behaviours. At the mild end, a horse occasionally flips its nose up during transitions or when rein contact changes. At the more severe end, the horse goes persistently above the bit, making it nearly impossible to maintain a steady connection. Some horses root downward, grabbing the reins out of the rider's hands. Others flip their head so sharply it becomes a safety concern.
What these behaviours share is that the horse is trying to get away from something. It might be the bit. It might not. The only way to know is to work through the possibilities systematically.
The Many Causes of Head Tossing
Before reaching for a different bit, it is worth ruling out the most common non-bit causes. Changing the bit when the problem originates elsewhere means the behaviour persists and the horse loses trust in the process.
Dental issues. Wolf teeth, sharp enamel points, blind wolf teeth hidden beneath the gum, and hooks on the premolars can all cause pain that shows up as head tossing. Blind wolf teeth are particularly tricky because nothing is visible on the surface, yet the bit pressing the gum over the hidden tooth creates real discomfort. If the horse has not had a dental exam recently, consider having the teeth checked before making any equipment changes.
Saddle fit and back pain. The hyoid apparatus connects the tongue, jaw, and poll to myofascial chains that run through the neck, shoulders, back, and hindquarters. Discomfort in the back or saddle area can travel forward through this chain and show up as mouth fussiness, head tossing, or contact avoidance. A horse that was previously fine and starts tossing its head may be telling you something about the saddle, not the bit.
Bridle fit. A browband that is too short presses on the base of the ears and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). A noseband cranked too tight restricts jaw movement and creates pressure that the horse braces against. Even the cheekpiece buckle sitting over the TMJ can cause irritation. These are simple to check and easy to fix.
Rider hands and training. Inconsistent contact, heavy hands, or a horse that has not yet learned to accept steady rein connection can produce head tossing that looks like a bit problem but is really a communication gap. If the behaviour is worse with one rider and better with another, that is a strong clue.
The Palate Connection
When head tossing is related to the bit, a low palate is one of the most common underlying factors. Research on equine cadavers (Engelke and Gasse, 2003) found that the palatine arch height varies enormously, from as little as 6mm to 25mm, and it does not correlate reliably with the horse's breed, age, or external head size. A horse with a seemingly large head can still have a shallow palate.
When the palate is low, mouthpiece components that sit high in the mouth, thick lozenges, pronounced ports, or any part that rotates upward under rein contact, can press into the hard palate. The hard palate has very little soft tissue padding. Beneath the thin mucous membrane sits a venous blood network (the palatine plexus). Pressure there is genuinely painful, and the horse throws its head upward to escape it.
This is worth investigating even if it is not the obvious suspect. Many riders do not think to check palate depth because they cannot see it. A simple check involves gently pressing a fingertip against the roof of the mouth (with gloves on) to feel how much space exists above the tongue. If the space is limited, any mouthpiece thicker than about 12mm may be causing interference.
What to Consider If It Is the Bit
If you have ruled out dental, saddle, bridle, and training factors (or are addressing them in parallel), and the head tossing persists, the bit itself becomes the focus. There are two things to assess: mouthpiece design and cheekpiece stability. The order matters.
Start with the mouthpiece. The goal is to reduce or eliminate palate interference. A thinner mouthpiece (10-12mm) takes up less vertical space in the mouth, leaving more room between tongue and palate. Beyond thickness, the link design matters. Barrel-link mouthpieces (like those in the CalmBlue, CalmRide, and CalmPort families) sit lower on the tongue and do not rotate upward into the palate the way a traditional lozenge can. For very sensitive horses, a mullen mouth design (ComfortArch, SteadyCore, SteadyFlex) eliminates moving parts entirely, which means no unexpected palate contact at all.
Then assess the cheekpiece. A Baucher cheekpiece reduces erratic bit movement in the mouth. Because it suspends from the bridle, the mouthpiece stays quieter and more predictable. For some head-tossing horses, the instability of a loose ring or even an eggbutt contributes to the problem, and switching to a Baucher resolves it even without changing the mouthpiece.
Designs that reduce palate contact and stabilize bit movement
Bit Options for Head Tossing
Barrel Link (10mm)
CalmBlue · CalmRide · CalmPort
The barrel sits low on the tongue without rotating into the palate. Strong tongue relief with a slim profile. A good first option when palate interference is suspected.
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Mullen Mouth
ComfortArch · SteadyCore · SteadyFlex
No moving parts means no unexpected upward rotation. The quietest possible mouthpiece. Best for very sensitive horses that react to any movement inside the mouth.
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Baucher Cheekpiece
Available with most mouthpieces
Suspends from the bridle, keeping the bit still and predictable. Zero poll pressure. Lifts the mouthpiece off the bars. The most stable cheekpiece option for head tossers and rooters alike.
Shop BaucherA Note on Rooters
Rooting, where the horse dives its head down and pulls the reins through the rider's hands, is a different pattern from upward head tossing, but the two often get grouped together. The causes can overlap (discomfort, evasion, learned behaviour), yet the bitting approach differs.
For rooters specifically, the Baucher cheekpiece is the strongest recommendation. It keeps the bit still (so there is nothing unstable for the horse to grab at), lifts the mouthpiece slightly off the bars, and produces zero poll pressure. Horses that root are often bracing against downward poll pressure, so removing that variable can make a noticeable difference. If a horse previously improved in a Myler Level 1, that preference for a slimmer bit with evenly distributed tongue pressure often translates well to a CalmBlue or CalmRide on a Baucher.
The Systematic Approach
Sequence matters when troubleshooting head tossing. Addressing things out of order usually means wasted time and unnecessary bit changes.
Step 1: Rule out pain. Dental check, saddle fit assessment, and a look at the bridle (browband length, noseband tightness, cheekpiece buckle position). If any of these are contributing, address them first. Changing the bit while a wolf tooth is causing pain just adds confusion.
Step 2: Assess palate clearance. If the horse has a low palate or limited mouth space, switch to a thinner mouthpiece or a barrel-link design that sits lower. This is the most common bit-related fix for head tossing.
Step 3: Evaluate cheekpiece stability. If the mouthpiece change helps but does not fully resolve the issue, try a more stable cheekpiece. A Baucher is the go-to, but an eggbutt can also provide enough stability for milder cases.
Step 4: Give it time. A horse that has been tossing its head for months may need a few weeks with the new setup before the habitual bracing pattern relaxes. If there is gradual improvement, stay the course.
How the CalmBlue Line Started
The Agadors CalmBlue line was originally developed while investigating a head-tossing mare. The troubleshooting process revealed that both saddle fit and bitting were contributing to the problem. That experience shaped how Agadors approaches bit design: the bit is always one piece of a larger picture, and solving a problem usually means looking at several things at once. The barrel-link design that came out of that process is now one of the most versatile options in the range for horses with palate sensitivity.
Need help?
Common Questions About Head Tossing
With clean gloves on, gently slide your index finger along the roof of the horse's mouth (keeping the teeth together so you do not get bitten). Feel how much space exists between the top of the tongue and the hard palate. If your finger barely fits, the palate is low and a thinner or barrel-link mouthpiece is likely a better fit. Do not persist if the horse objects strongly. You can also ask your equine dentist to assess this during a routine dental exam.
A head tosser throws or flips the head upward, often trying to escape pressure on the palate, bars, or poll. A rooter drives the head downward, pulling the reins through the rider's hands. Head tossers typically benefit most from a thinner or barrel-link mouthpiece that reduces palate contact. Rooters respond best to a stable cheekpiece (especially the Baucher) that removes poll pressure and keeps the bit still. Some horses do both, in which case a slim barrel-link on a Baucher covers both patterns.
If the head tossing is sudden and new, if the horse shows signs of pain (reluctance to eat, swelling, head shyness), or if you have tried reasonable equipment adjustments without improvement, it is worth having a vet or equine dentist take a look. Many head-tossing cases turn out to involve wolf teeth or sharp enamel points that are quick to address once identified. A saddle fitter is also worth considering if the behaviour coincides with changes in work intensity or the horse's body condition.
Yes. A browband that is too short presses on the base of the ears and the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), which sits just behind the eye. This can cause head tilting, tossing, and even low-grade lameness that gets misdiagnosed as a bitting issue. An overtightened noseband restricts the jaw's natural movement and creates bracing. Research has shown that 44% of horses at national and international dressage events had nosebands too tight for a standard taper gauge to fit underneath. Check these before changing the bit.
If the bit was working and nothing about the bit changed, the cause is almost certainly elsewhere. The most common culprits are dental changes (wolf teeth erupting, sharp edges developing), saddle fit (the horse's back shape changes with fitness and season), and training or rider changes. Investigate everything else first. However, if trust has been broken by the experience, switching to something gentler temporarily can help rebuild confidence while you address the underlying issue.
Continue Reading
This guide is part of the Is It the Bit? series. For more on how the horse's mouth works, and how bit design interacts with anatomy, explore the guides below.