How do you actually use a neck strap, please...?

catembi

catembi

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Probably stupid question of the year, but never mind...

As per title, how do you actually use a neck strap?

Scenario 1 - approaching a jump & unsure what the horse is going to go, e.g. balloon etc. If you're holding onto a neck strap with one hand, how do you steer? And then how do you give with your hands over the jump?
Scenario 2 - schooling a spooky horse, but one which might or equally might not spook, and if they do, it's going to be hard. If you are hanging onto the neck strap for the whole half hour/45 minutes, how do you steer?
Scenario 3 - hacking out the above horse. If you hang onto the neck strap for the whole ride, don't you only have one hand free to steer?

I have the 'oh sh*t' style of pommel strap on my saddles, but when the sh*t actually DOES hit the fan, I'm too busy trying to deal with it to grab the strap. And even if I DID remember to grab the strap, I would then only have one hand to deal with the sh*t...?

What am I missing? For example, Salute Equestrian has a strap with very good reviews, https://saluteequestrian.com/pages/why-click-connect but I still don't understand how having one hand fixed in place can help with effective riding!

Someone please educate me! Thank you!
 
I use a home made version of the rs tor. Then your hands can move with the reins. Also if you do get ditched your hand / wrist is not stuck in the neck strap. I wouldn't use a neck strap that wasn't attached to the saddle incase the horse got a front leg through it, also if the head goes down you can't reach it as around the horses ears. Although like you if I'm not already holding it I never have the wherewithall to grab it in time anyway.
 
Personally, if you are thinking you need/want to be holding a neck strap the entire time, then you might find an RS-Tor (if they still exist) a better option.

For me, the ease of use of a neckstrap can depend a little bit on the conformation of horse and rider - there are some times when it kind of doesn't work so easily (although most of the time it does.). You can ride with both hand on reins and one hand also looped on the strap. But it's more of an adhoc thing than a ride like that for the session
 
You need a longer neck strap.
Also your scenario 1, realistically if you're on the neckstrap expecting trouble as opposed to just holding it, you're not likely to get forward to give, but holding the neck strap means you won't catch the horse as you would if you were caught out without it
 
I always assumed that the oh s*ht straps were more for a quick moment of regaining balance if you lose your seat than for control, as it were.

If I was worried about the above scenarios like spooking, I'd probably focus more on training calmness and being able to quickly de-escalate any trigger-stacking. Or train a one rein stop and a verbal halt cue if you're worried about the horse taking off.

E.g. if worried about a balloon on a jump, I'd do some groundwork with balloons to make them a positive association for the horse rather than a scary one. Obviously as prey animals horses are going to spook from time to time, but I've found that this kind of training with novel objects can make a big difference to their overall perception of 'scary items'. Makes them curious rather than feel threatened.
 
I did actually have an RS-TOR for a bit but I sold it because I found it a distraction & impediment to try & ride with it! You ARE supposed to hold it all the time. It felt to me as if I was trying to carry something at the same time as trying to ride.

Disclaimer: I am a neurodiverse person with a strong dash of dyspraxia and am not very coordinated. I therefore need to keep things simple or I get myself in a knot.
 
I use it as a back up if I need to drop the reins to save the horses mouth or if anything snapped for any reason
But I also sometimes just ride in a neck rope so I’ll take the bridle off while I’m riding
 
catembi said:
I did actually have an RS-TOR for a bit but I sold it because I found it a distraction & impediment to try & ride with it! You ARE supposed to hold it all the time. It felt to me as if I was trying to carry something at the same time as trying to ride.

Disclaimer: I am a neurodiverse person with a strong dash of dyspraxia and am not very coordinated. I therefore need to keep things simple or I get myself in a knot.
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I get that, I didn't like them either. But it sounded like you were wanting to pretty much ride with some sort of safety seatbelt the whole time.
So your neck strap needs to be long enough that if you are using it you aren't leaning forwards.

I find they are best used in anticipatory situations, if you don't already have hold of it when explosion happens you'll probably be more intent on staying on / dealing with the situation than grabbing the strap.

I'm loving Miss_millie's definition of ballooning a fence :D but in all seriousness you are better to address the behaviours in small training chunks rather than just relying on a neckstrap the entire time. If a horse is spooky and balloons fences, then you need to trot and pop lots of teeny stuff and go in slowly enough that you can control the spook. TBH you can easily jump the fence on handed if really needed, using the strap to try and help preventing catching the mouth. If the basics are done right this really should improve pretty rapidly.
 
I don’t think it’s a stupid question at all!!
I really don’t get it either, that said I always put one on just because I was at a livery yard once where the YO used to shriek if anyone tried to leave the yard without either high viz or a neck strap 😂
Current horse wears a breastplate as we only really hack but when I was having lessons with him i didn’t use the breastplate and put a neck strap on instead.
Pretty sure it wouldn’t keep me on in a hairy moment though.
 
I have very few 'skills' however, I have learnt to become really quite proficient at riding with one hand on the reins, one on my oh s*it strap (through necessity rather than choice). It is possible to ride a whole showjumping course in this fashion - I am the living proof- it wasnt pretty and the jumps weren't big but horse was on one and I probably wouldn't have stayed on otherwise and steering isn't just with your reins.
I have had my horse a long time and I can *usually* tell if he's in the kind of mood where I will need to have hold of my pommel strap - I prefer this to a neck strap as it allows me to sit back and deep into my saddle and stirrups - if I was reaching forward for a neck strap and he did one of his bucks I'd have no chance. Also with the pommel strap I can be holding on to it for dear life - and the horse has no idea - whereas they can feel if you're hanging on to a neck strap - this for me is essential as my horse would feed off my fear otherwise.
 
I used an old stirrup leather for a neck strap and the only 2 scenarios I've used it for are:

a) when very, bouncy jolly Fell pony decides he needs to boing his way down the hill to the village - I hold on to the neck strap just in case he trips over his own feet. Used in combo with feet jammed forwards, heels firmly down, and very bad language! 😆

b) when we first started cantering in the school and he was both excited and unbalanced. Once he was moving forwards I let go and stopped praying 🙏
 
I prefer to grab the breastplate than a neckstrap as it moves less side-to-side if they're bouncing about, if I'm jumping I'll grab a handful of mane instead if I need it. I ride one handed if I have to grab the breastplate though, so my reins are still independent from the hand I'm using to balance.
 
I didn't really want to say what happened for all to see, but the sanitised version is that baby horse got a real fright when 4 motorbikes with super loud exhausts blasted past on the other side of the hedge followed by a bus when we were at training camp on an xc training session. Understandably whipped round, dumped me & ran off. This behaviour was repeated out of nowhere last night, spooking at some wings in my arena that have been there since before I got her, and it was about 25 mins in, so she wasn't fresh. I am not sure what I'm going to do to train her out of it (I think she was repeating what she did at camp) if she can spook harder than I can sit.

It was really, really bad luck that she got a genuine fright so early in our r'ship and I want to nip it in the bud. I honestly don't fall off for nothing, but she has a gigantic spook, it comes with no warning & I just cannot sit it.

No snarking, please
 
catembi said:
(I didn't mean an actual balloon on a jump. I meant that if the jump is relatively small but the horse might (or might not...) put in a 4ft jump due to being young, inexperienced or too enthusiastic.)
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I've used it in a similar situation, better than grabbing the mane which isn't so nice for the horse. Don't hold it coming in to the fence but let go a rein and slip a hand in at the last minute when they're about to go. I'm thinking here for ditches, jumping into water or a pole on the ground where you are coming in slowly but may get a big reaction.

Out hacking when horse is likely to react explosively to something happening or might suddenly spook sideways in canter, I can slip 2 fingers through to stabilise myself. Still hold the reins but wouldn't be on a tight contact.
 
I find a neck strap adjusted to the right length is useful when canterig/galloping and you may get the odd spook.
I used the oh sh*t strap on a sharp horse, schooling hold with one hand, reins in the other. I ended up able to steer perfectly without reins as I used the strap so often. He did airobatics and spins from nowhere.
I don't find either in a good position for a quick grab and for jumping a handful of mane works for me ;)
 
I used to ride my nutty mare with a running martingale and had the bit round the neck loose enough so I could put a finger through it if she was feeling particularly fresh, I think it allowed me to relax a bit and therefore not stiffen up in anticipation of a huge spook or spin and be less likely to be unseated
 
catembi said:
I didn't really want to say what happened for all to see, but the sanitised version is that baby horse got a real fright when 4 motorbikes with super loud exhausts blasted past on the other side of the hedge followed by a bus when we were at training camp on an xc training session. Understandably whipped round, dumped me & ran off. This behaviour was repeated out of nowhere last night, spooking at some wings in my arena that have been there since before I got her, and it was about 25 mins in, so she wasn't fresh. I am not sure what I'm going to do to train her out of it (I think she was repeating what she did at camp) if she can spook harder than I can sit.

It was really, really bad luck that she got a genuine fright so early in our r'ship and I want to nip it in the bud. I honestly don't fall off for nothing, but she has a gigantic spook, it comes with no warning & I just cannot sit it.

No snarking, please
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Ah, I think most horses would spook big in those initial circumstances! How much of a baby is she - could it be when she spooks and you're thrown off balance - it gives her even more of a fright making the spook even worse? We think this is what happened with my friends young horse a couple of times and she tried lunging him with a weighted (with sand and straw) dummy tied to his back and gradually let it wobble about/hang, dangle etc in different ways which seemed to help reduce the 'panic' response?
 
She was 4 on 11th May; owned for 4 weeks tomorrow. 17hh ISH with a dash of warmblood.

I don't blame her for what she did because the noise was REALLY loud & sudden, but I would rather that it didn't become her go-to if she fancies a bit of fun.

There was no time to get unbalanced or otherwise as it was literally one huge spook. I didn't have a chance of staying on & didn't yesterday either! I have been riding my other horse without stirrups to help with my seat, but it's not going to be enough.
 
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