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

[maya2008]

definitely no snarking. and my suggestions are a bit different.
I am not a good rider and wouldn't put myself in that position. I tried a neck strap once but it put my hand too far forward. I only use a neck strap as a neck rope without a bridle which is different. If I had to use something I would use a breastplate but I don't like having a neck ring hanging around the horse's neck as I'm sure I would get caught up in it when I fell off. I'm sure I would fall of with what you describe so got to avoid that happening.

the motorbike incident is probably enough to try any horse let alone a youngster.

I do a lot of training to make sure a young horse doesn't spook. That would be initially on the ground and then ridden in an enclosed area. 4 is very young and only just in a new home. We have lots of things such as plastic feed bags on sticks (flags) which we carry around ridden, washing lines full of clothes we ride under, bottle of stones which we clang around above the horse's head whilst ridden to produce noise, lots of silage plastic preferably in a strong wind, we drag a can around on a rope, play football using the horse's sides as a wall, lots of other things. By the end the horse is used to all spookies and understands that when I tell it to walk past, over, under or through that is what happens.
My horses are only happy hackers but I do need them to cope with everything we could possibly meet. We do lots of that on the road as well (very quiet road) take the wheelie bin for a walk, hide plastic in hedges, take a can for a walk on a string which makes a lot of noise as you drag it along the road, bike training obviously and also motor bikes, tractor training. By the time they have walked between a tractor that is running and a wall they start to get braver. Then we rev the tractor up. Obviously we start with a car before doing this. Open a newspaper on top of them ( I used to use a lot of maps)

This probably won't appeal to many but I have found it produces a more confident horse who has no reason to spook.



That training is along the lines of both TRT method and Karl Greenwood's. Designed to give confidence to the horse and for it to learn to do as it's told under all conditions.
There are lots of videos on youtube showing both of these.

We do all that - still have a Welsh A who spooks for fun, beside two 3yos who don't give a monkeys and a Welsh D who generally never spooks, but lost her nerve yesterday, leapt a million feet sideways and dumped her rider. I blame the pony behind her who'd spent the WHOLE 1.5 hour ride spooking at nothing (clash of rider/pony there, rider doesn't mind but I think pony'd like to move house and find a more confident kid!).

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Thinking outside of the box here. What if you were to switch to using a western saddle instead - maybe one designed with barrel racing in mind - until the horse is more settled under saddle? I always find them harder to fall out of, which helps me cope better during random moments of rearing, sideways teleportation, etc.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I checked this out in my lesson today as some people didn't seem to get the leaning forward to pick up the neck strap thing. On the horse I usually ride (he is a very large ID!) it really is quite far forward of the front of the saddle. Possibly it would lift enough that I could sit back once holding it but to pick it up I definitely do have to reach for it so wouldn't be ideal in an emergency situation.

 

[spotty_pony2]

I’ve always thought the same - I can’t see me remembering to grab that in the moment when I am falling. That said, the only time I have found it useful is when riding bareback - I tuck one hand in the neck strap with the rein and feel much more secure when going fast!

 

[dixie]

I use the Rambo Micklem breastplate as it has a grab handle on it.
I particularly use it going up steep hills in the woods to stop holding onto my horses mouth but it’s equally useful when needing that extra security and seems to be in the right place.
I quite often find myself hooking a couple of fingers around it but with loose reins when hacking without realising.
Having said that I didn’t even think of grabbing it when my horse bronked during a schooling session

Horseware Micklem® Breastplate Martingale

The Horseware Micklem® Breastplate Martingale is a stunning ergonomically designed 3-point elasticated leather breastplate offering the very best in comfort and safety whether showjumping or out on the cross-country field. Our designers chose to work with the 3-point breastplate template to...

www.horseware.com

 

[WestCoast]

I’ve never been able to get hold of a neck strap when I need it. I think I generally like to have my hands in a defensive position at the bottom of the neck if things get hairy. My alternative is an avacallo gel out seat saver for major warmblood spooks.

I do still have a flash strap attached to the side ring on my breast plate though which is somewhere I could grab it if needed - it was put there by a lady that used to exercise her for me.

You need two keeper loops on it if you don’t want a big ring flapping about. Put the end through the breastplate ring and through the first keeper loop and push up to hold it in place before doing up the buckle and putting the end through the second keeper loop.

 

[Meredith]

I’ve never been able to get hold of a neck strap when I need it. I think I generally like to have my hands in a defensive position at the bottom of the neck if things get hairy. My alternative is an avacallo gel out seat saver for major warmblood spooks.

I do still have a flash strap attached to the side ring on my breast plate though which is somewhere I could grab it if needed - it was put there by a lady that used to exercise her for me.

You need two keeper loops on it if you don’t want a big ring flapping about. Put the end through the breastplate ring and through the first keeper loop and push up to hold it in place before doing up the buckle and putting the end through the second keeper loop.

This is similar to the dog collar I use. ( see photo earlier) but I hold mine all the time.I can loose the rein and hold the collar so I don’t jerk my dodgy shoulder.

 

[Sail_away]

I never really got the hang of them until I started riding a lot of unknown horses for my job, then suddenly they were very useful!
Coming towards a fence scenario I would probably hold reins in both hands and neck strap in one and be ready to slip the reins if horse balloons. If no hysterics after fence, plenty of time to gather reins up. If hysterics, would rather have neck strap first and shorten reins as and when is possible.
Schooling - just when I feel we might have a moment. So with newbies I’d always hold it in the first upwards transitions and over the first fence if possible. Or if they got a bit het up over anything. Hard if they’re spooking very quickly though as there’s not always warning . Worth keeping your hands just above the neck strap so it’s easy to grab in the moment.
Personal choice but I have my neck strap as tight as I can whilst having it sit at the base of the neck. If anything is having a determined bronc I prefer it as secure as possible. Some people attach theirs to their saddle with a little bungee clip to keep it in place.

 

[blodwyn1]

I thread a thin strap through the d rings and hold that like a double rein so I have it all the time normally with one hand. I find it gives me security and mentally helps me.