Pet frightens with head right down (6)
I believe the answer is:
caress
'pet' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
I don't understand how the rest of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for caress that I've seen before include "Touch with affection" , "Scares into handle lovingly" , "Pat" , "Stroke gently" , "pet" .)