Riding with a Neck String...right or wrong?

[Bluebelle]

I have got my TB gelding to the point where usually just ride him bareback with only a string around his neck. Some of my 'traditional dressage' friends disapprove. They say its not right for my horse to have free use of his head and neck, as he is not on the bit / working in a proper outline / using his hindquarters correctly. One even suggested its not 'natural' for a horse to carry his head freely.
Is this true? I have spent hours watching my horses in the field, and never have I seen them canter around with their necks held in a perfect arch and their face at 90degrees - They usually have their heads down and necks stretched long and low. When riding him in a neck string, he's like this too. Should he be 'working in an outline' when being ridden in a neckstring?

To simplify this question, should my horse, when being ridden is as natural state as possible (i.e. with no restraint but a neckstring), still do what I consider to be 'unnatural' and hold himself in an outline? I don't really want to start a NH vs traditonal methods debate! Just want to know if I've trained my horse right!

[evilgiraffe]

If he's comfortable carrying you, I don't see the issue - quite frankly you've done very well to be able to ride him without any bridle at all! I don't understand the comment that it is "unnatural" for a horse to carry his head freely at all - how peculiar! If I were you I'd nod politely and carry on with what you're doing :)

[cvb]

he can be "in an outline" with just a string.

I'm a little boggled - surely the dressage people know about self-carriage ? Or are they of the mind that the horse only collects when pulled, pushed, held, etc ?

ETA: "in an outline" is NOT the same as in a collected frame

[Bluebelle]

Thanks for the support! :DYou've mentioned the most important thing - my horse's happiness. Just wish I could teach these friends of mine that view. One of them has been my best friend for ages, and is an excellent rider, but I did kindof doubt her judgement the other day when I heard she was riding one of her jumpers in one of those awful twisted-wire bits "because he's uncontrollable". :confused:

[Bluebelle]

he can be "in an outline" with just a string.

I'm a little boggled - surely the dressage people know about self-carriage ? Or are they of the mind that the horse only collects when pulled, pushed, held, etc ?

ETA: "in an outline" is NOT the same as in a collected frame
I'm not actually sure. I think they meant he should be properly on the bit, you know, with his neck curved and his face perpendicular. My horse trotting around relaxedly with his head low was deemed unsuitable!

[Joyscarer]

Just to add that your horses whole balance with be changed when carrying a rider so I wouldn't compare how he is in the field with how he is when carrying you because he needs to work differently to best manage carrying you in the best way for him. :)

[capalldubh]

I do very baby beginner work with my boy using a neckstrap. My main aim is for him to carry himself well, and so to carry me comfortably. To achieve that, we rarely go out of walk (very very occasional trots for a few paces), but a lot of emphasis on stepping under, lifting his back and not going completely on the forehand. To do that, I encourage him to leg yield, and shoulder-in, both of which he will do from a leg and seat cue. He will also rein-back (can you rein-back with no rein? :)), so I ask for a couple of steps back followed by a nice soft walk off.

The only difference between that and riding with saddle and reins is that when I ask for shoulder-in, he is less likely to lift his shoulder with the neck strap - I suppose because I cue the lift with the rein? And he carries his head and neck stretched forward. So I guess we've achieved the lifting of the back to some extent, he steps under nicely (especially when moving laterally) and his balance is good, but we are still more on the forehand than I would like. So a long way from dressage :D but moving slowly (at a speed we can both handle) towards my aim of him carrying me in a way that is best for his long term fitness and health :)

It sounds as though you're a long way down that path :) Your friends maybe haven't quite realised the point of training their horse to work well - beyond looking pretty, it's better for the horse!

[wedney]

Q - Right or wrong?
A - Right

Good for you and a testament to your relationship with your horse.
By riding your horse this way you are threatening the belief of some dressage riders that the horse needs to be held up by the bit. No wonder they disapprove.

I could list loads of people who ride with a neck string but I will start with these two.

http://www.soy-libertad.com/galerie.htm
http://www.hauteecole.ru/en/

And for those you are really interested visit

www.artofnaturaldressage.com

[Crystal Fire]

I think it depends. A lot of the work you see people doing with a neck string, or bridleless isn't that great, because the horse isn't carrying themselves well and long-term that is detrimental for them. I think it's fine to go freestyle sometimes, whether or not you have something on their head or around their neck. I also think that you should do plenty of work where you are encouraging your horse to work correctly through their body, using their hind end, lifting up their back, and carrying their head well as a result. That doesn't mean the forced position that many think is a good "outline", if a horse is working well from behind and through the body then they will use their body effectively.
I think that the German Training Scale can be related to good natural horsemanship goals. At the bottom of the scale is relaxation - you need that if you ever want to achieve the peak of performance. If you lose it as the work advances you need to go back and find it. But relaxation isn't as simple as riding about with your body slumped/relaxed and your horse going anyhow, it is a foundation to build correct and athletic work from. For you and the horse.
Ramble over... :)
p.s. I think some of the ridden work on that Haute Ecole work is a bit dodgy. I would be pretty chuffed if I could do that with no tack - don't get me wrong! However, there is a lack of relaxation in a lot of it, and more expert people than me (like Heather Moffat for one) have pointed out some very incorrect movement. Incorrect movement is damaging to the horse long-term.

[Kate F.]

I really think this needs to be put in context. Are you always and only riding with a neck string, or just sometimes as a change? What are your goals?

If (as I suspect) you're just using it as an exercise and a bit of fun, as a change from riding with a bridle - I really wouldn't worry about outline etc. The main thing is, are you communicating effectively with the horse? (Your dressage friends are probably jealous as they know they's be carted into the next county at full gallop if they took their bridles off!:D;))

Then it comes to what you want to do - what the goals are. If you want to do haute ecole with a neck string, yes, you are going to have to work on self carriage and achieving an outline from the seat. It's all possible. However, depending on your own level of skill you may need to teach the horse with conventional tack to start with, then remove it. But maybe that's not your aim. Perhaps you just want to experiment with ways of communicating with your horse - or maybe just to know you have his trust and can control him without all the tack.

If it were unnatural for horses to have a free head, nature would have provided bridles. Nature didn't intend horses to be ridden - that's a human idea. :D

[wonkeywoody]

Your dressage friends are probably jealous as they know they's be carted into the next county at full gallop if they took their bridles off!

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!! ....and that they couldnt get their horse working properly from a neck string either!

Go girl, do what you are doing, your horse will be thanking you and thats whats important.

You can go back to 'normal' bridleing later on and you will more than likely find that he accepts the bit in a much softer/lighter way than before cos he is relaxed/happy and confident it your partnership. to me thats sooooo much better than the general forced 'correctness' we all see all too often.

[ameliet1971]

Your dressage friends are probably jealous as they know they's be carted into the next county at full gallop if they took their bridles off!

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!! ....and that they couldnt get their horse working properly from a neck string either!

Go girl, do what you are doing, your horse will be thanking you and thats whats important.

You can go back to 'normal' bridleing later on and you will more than likely find that he accepts the bit in a much softer/lighter way than before cos he is relaxed/happy and confident it your partnership. to me thats sooooo much better than the general forced 'correctness' we all see all too often.

100% in agreement with you wonkeywoody. :)

I have got my TB gelding to the point where usually just ride him bareback with only a string around his neck. Some of my 'traditional dressage' friends disapprove. They say its not right for my horse to have free use of his head and neck, as he is not on the bit / working in a proper outline / using his hindquarters correctly. One even suggested its not 'natural' for a horse to carry his head freely.
Sounds like these riders are more interested in constant schooling than having a little quality time and fun with their horses.

And no prizes for guessing who's horse is most probably the most relaxed and happy out of all of them. ;)

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