Neck built like a Banana

Sexy Sietske

Sexy Sietske

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Aug 18, 2006
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Derbyshire/nottinghamshire
New little girl...despite being only almost 3 has a SOLID neck, its really hard under her neck and she is all built wrong, she is a nervy little girl and is a touch overweight at the moment (have to have a good feel for her ribs :p) What can I do to soften up the muscle under neck?? She is fed with her haylage net (with hay) hung low, turned out during the day. We have only had her a day but all our horses have nice correctly built necks and poor gal looks like a bull with her neck as it is :p
 
at her age, it is unusual to have bad muscle formation - since she won't have been doing any/much ridden work to form it. What is her natural way of going like? I am presuming that she naturally carries her head high and tense, and therefore has formed that muscle. It may prove a challenge to correct it in the long term. I'm thinking lots of long and low work, lots of lungeing - and perhaps tactful use of a chambon.

Anyway, re. how he should be fed - don't whatever you do feed a low net - that's asking for the horse to get a leg stuck in the net. Instead just put it on the floor, or you can put it in a bucket attached to the wall or fenceline.
 
The net is a low haylage net...and its not on the floor, just low enough to encourage her to use her neck properly...cant feed from the floor as she is on a diet and pigs hay :rolleyes: She is a very nervy jumpy pony and really get down on her hocks and goes around with her neck rock solid ready to bugger off if she needed to. She has never been lunged or long reined, only wore tack...so we have some work to do :p
 
please don't put the net low! any height less than normal eye level is too low for safety. I've seen a very nasty incident with a horse becoming cast because of being caught in a haynet, and I do believe they are more trouble than they are worth...

How about providing a bucket of hay clipped to the wall - we used to stuff one of those big buckets, so it can't really gobbled that quickly, and is safe down there, and then also provide a toy ball for her to push around if she finishes up quick enough. One of the ones that trickles food (slowly!) would be perfect.
 
Yeah I agree, one of those food balls would be really good for her, we feed half of dexters feed in one it has many benefits. And agree about the haynet be very careful, I've seen a greedy horse get his foot stuck in a metal hay rack which was at the right height!!
 
A treat ball would be a great idea, encourage her to spend a lot more time with her head down. I would almost be inclined to let her pig her haylage off the floor - when she realises that there will always be haylage and she doesn't have to scoff it to get her share, she will calm down and eat more slowly. If she is on a diet, you could mix in some straw for bulk without calories.

I wouldn't lunge her, with or without a chambon, she is only 2 and I don't think it would be all that good for her. Long-reining would be OK, lots of walks in-hand, that sort of thing.
 
Gruntfuttock said:
I wouldn't lunge her, with or without a chambon, she is only 2 and I don't think it would be all that good for her. Long-reining would be OK, lots of walks in-hand, that sort of thing.
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She definately isnt being lunged for at least 6months...i think she would kill me :p far too nervy and unsure of herself to be trusted to move around me in a respectable manner :eek::p The net is a haylage net with super tiny holes and is hung at chest level, there is noway she would be able to get her foot caught in cz i cant even get my hands through the hole :eek:
 
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