Neck muscle - on the underneath!!

[harleydales]

Most of you know I took on a loan horse a couple of months ago. he's lovely to ride and hack, but tends to go along with his head up, even with a loose rein.
As a result of this, he's starting to build up a muscle on the underneath of his neck and it bulges out a bit, makes him look rather Friesian!!

Any ideas of what I can do to make him relax and drop his head? And how to get this muscle to go away? If he was leaning on the bit I would go for a hackamore but as he's managing to be like this with a loose rein, I don't know if it would help.

Thanks

[greydales]

When Dancer came to me his underneck muscle was very large, and he tended to go along like your horse with his head in the clouds (still does at times!). As Dancer is naturally very forward going and not very relaxed (due to years of unsympathetic training previously), every time I ride him I do lots and lots of walking on a longish rein and a light (but not loose) contact and only trotting if he will keep relaxed and supple in the neck. With canter the head shoots straight up again and it will be quite a while I think before he is able to relax with the canter. He gets very anxious and it is obvious that he he has been 'held together' strongly in a previous life and not been trained in a calm fashion or allowed to stretch.

It is quite tricky when they are used to going in a certain way, but it's not impossible to rectify - you just need patience!

You do need a contact rather than a loose rein but it's finding the equilibrium of not too much and not too little. The horse needs to stretch down and out with his neck and seek the bit, which you can only achieve by consistent schooling - in an arena or out on a hack (which is always more difficult as there is lots for them to look at!). Do you have a good instructor you could have a few lessons with and get you on the right road?

Lunging with side reins (not too tight) on the bottom ring of the roller might help him to stretch out and down rather than up!

[DalesLady]

Feeding only off the floor and never out of a hayrack or haynet will help soften that muscle too.

Echo everything Gill says, but remember it is a matter of time and patience. It does take time to turn an upside down neck the correct way up, but it is possible with the correct riding techniques including subtle neck bends while riding forwards; and encouraging the horse to work from his backend will help the front end be more accepting and to bend more flexibly. Hope you know what I mean as I am not necessarily good at explaining in writing.

It does come though! Good luck.

[lancslass]

have you any pics of him jane that show his neck?
i agree totally with gill, that he does need to learn to stretch and seek the bit and that side reins are a very good idea altered to the correct tension. it is very important that he flexes from the poll and not from the middle/crest of his neck. he has to learn not to hollow his back, which, if he is going as you say, he will be hollowing quite badly, meaning he is taking all the riders weight on his back with no support. when he has learnt to accept the contact and come down onto the vertical from the poll, then his back, exaggerated, will be arched ever so slightly like a bridge, taking the weight of the rider over the four corners of his legs..........this will all aid in helping his neck come good and ensureing that he does actually work from behind and not bob along with his back end skipping and front end tied in.
make sure all your tack is comfortable for him too as this can make a horse hollow his back, thus the head springing up if it is ill fitting.
if he has a feed, then he can be fed from a feed manger that hangs from a bracket at the required height. we have had many here that have had undesirable necks, but given time and patience and the correct technique for each individual, they do come good.

[SuzieP]

I don't want to get into a discussion about the pros and cons of "gadgets" - but will share my experience with Bea, for what its worth.

Bea used to go along with his head up and his back hollowed. A change of saddle has brought him more comfort and a softer back. When lunging I use side reins on the lowest ring of the roller as Gill suggests. I also use a Harbridge training aid for ridden schooling, fixed on a loose-ish setting (I don't subscribe to the practice of tying horses into an outline!) which gently reminds him where to carry his head. AT THE SAME TIME, I've tried to work on getting him really stepping under from behind. It's taking a long time, but more often than not these days the Harbridge is swinging without coming into play because he's carrying his head lower. He's muscling up now in the right places and is much more balanced at canter. At one time he couldn't manage a slow canter and fell in on every corner, but he's getting there....

I am fortunate that I have weekly lessons with an excellent instructor who keeps an eye on our schooling and gives good advice.

Bea is 10 this year and as far as I know has never been schooled properly. It's hard work for any horse to retrain its muscle groups, let alone an older animal, but patience is paying off.

[ponydreamersmum]

Rosie used to carry her head very high because of her trotting days. Sami used to counteract this by riding with her hands held high, something Richard Maxwell recommended, and it really did work. Within a few minutes Rosie had started to lower her head and gradually kept it lower without the high hands as she walked and trotted. Sami never got to canter her so Im not sure if it would have worked then or not. The only problem with it was that Sami felt silly riding with her hands several inches above where they should be and was very concious that if anyone saw her they would think she didnt know any better. Worth a try!

[lancslass]

you have done a fabulous job with Bea sue. just goes to show with dedication, patience and the correct approach that a horse can "turn around" in the way it goes.

[SuzieP]

Thanks for the encouragement, Karen

[lancslass]

you are very welcome sue but you don't need my encouragement..........you are dedicated, quiet and patient around your horse, you step back and view a problem before diving in head first.......what more do you need

[khristyne]

You could try a pessoa for short periods to beginwith on its lowest setting. But make sure the horse is going forward and get someone to show you how to use it.

[harleydales]

This horse used to do dressage, so he does know how to go forward properly.
I'm wondering if it's the change of home that has made him worried (he is a spooky boy) as he's been going around like a coiled spring! He is relaxing more now.
I've had his saddle checked and re-flocked so it shouldn't be a problem. He's ridden in a dutch gag on the first small ring - maybe I'll change it to the big ring.
If I take up too much contact he tenses his neck and fights it, so I do ride him loose. Mike is just learning and rides with quite high hands so that might help!!!!

He doesn't use his back end to propel himself forward very much, think I need to work on that aspect and get some lungeing in too.

[SuzieP]

Sounds like the poor chap is tense and anxious and will settle in time. Could the bit be the problem? If he's been roughly handled in the past through this bit he may have been hurt and hence the fighting and tension when you take up the contact.

I'm sure he'll come right with you......

[harleydales]

No, he's been nicely handled, I know the lady that had him before. She is a good rider.
He's a nervy and upright sort, esp on the road as he's had a couple of falls and I *think* he was hit by a bus in the past! Not surprising he's nervous, amazing he copes with vehicles at all really.
He was in that home for 14 years, so the change must be scary for him. He's always been top horse before as well, but Harley has maintained that position. Perhaps all these factors are just building up and worrying him. Poor laddie! He only arrived at the beginning of June, and I've only ridden him maybe 12 times, mostly hacking.

Might put him in my beloved full cheek french link, see if that makes a difference...perhaps he's using the poll action to tense against. But how can he be pushing on something when there isn't anything tight to push against??

[lancslass]

it could be simply that he doesn't like the nutcracker action of the mouthpiece jane. have you a safe, area you can try him out in a mullen mouth snaffle.........a very gentle bit and mild. it sometimes pays to go softer with the bit.

[harleydales]

Yep, could try that. He came with his usual tack, which included the dutch gag and a hanging cheek snaffle.
Wish I'd got a better photo of him when he arrived to compare and see the neck was always like that...