out of curiousity- neck straps

Do you use a neckstrap?

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Sometimes, normally if I think its going to go wrong but I will be using one or a breast plate for when the boy makes his first attempt at xc as I'm expecting a few odd ones.

Mary King is another that uses one. She was talking about it at a demo of hers this summer, my friend came to see my pony the day after and was laughing as when I had my old share pony I used a neck strap all the time, she soon shut up when I told her mark king and WFP use them *smug* :D
 
Never used one until this youngster and wouldn't be without it now, don't feel like i've tacked up properly if it isn't on now. I started to use one as he has taken to bolting and i wanted another method of trying to slow him down so taught him to halt from the neckstrap.

The only thing now is i can't grab it for jumping when he puts a huge/long/short one in cos he feels the pressure and stops what he's doing - how do i get round that now? - LOL
 
Nearly always - started a couple of years ago and wouldn't stop now. I don't need to grab it often but in a sticky moment would much rather hang on to that than the horse's mouth. Comes in handy if you ever need an extra slowing aid too. :)
 
I worked for William Fox Pitt for 2 years and the guy never did any sort of xc schooling, competing without one and now neither do I !!!! Also fantastic bit of kit on rearers, buckers and naughty ones in general:D
 
Use a hunting breatplate for everything except Dressage.

I find it is in a better place than a normal neckstrap which is too far forward for me.
Don't use it in Dressage in case it is a bit crooked which can make the horse look odd.
 
My TB wears a hunting breast plate with martingale whilst jumping and hacking - i use it sometimes when we are going across open fields as she usually has a good buck and sometimes a rear, so its nice to have something to hold onto!! otherwise for schooling i don't use one. :)
 
PC Steele said:
I worked for William Fox Pitt for 2 years and the guy never did any sort of xc schooling, competing without one and now neither do I !!!! Also fantastic bit of kit on rearers, buckers and naughty ones in general:D
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Ditto, I worked for the Fox Pitts when I was still in my teens (about twenty years ago) and it instilled a neck strap habit that has never gone away. All my horses have been taught to hack out on the buckle and stop from the neckstrap - and I automatically go for the neckstrap as soon as something starts creating. Always a shock when it isn't there!
 
Always, always have a neckstrap when i'm riding, particularly on my youngster as being an Appy she has very little mane to grab hold of! I'd much rather have a neckstrap to grab hold of that catch the horse in the mouth. The only time i haven't used one recently was strangely the day i got thrown off twice within the space of 15 mins by a git of a coloured cob. I'm quite sure i'd have had much more chance of sitting his bucking/leaping/spin & rear antics had there been something to hold onto :rolleyes:
 
Always use one out hunting, in our country we have mostly double banks and enormous gaping drains, its nice to let them have their heads as they creep down the bank before taking the big jump out into the field. When you have a neck strap you know you can grab it if you need it without interfering with their mouths and their balance. Never use one in any other circumstance although I always have a martingale on so I guess there is one available if needed but cant recall ever using it!
 
I voted never BUT I do put one on my daughters TB so she has the added security to grab something. I finally found a good use for the flash part of the bridle which I normally NEVER use. Just attach the two together and they fit lovely. I did ride this week on a riding school horse which went loopy-lu and my instructor told me to grab the neckstrap of the martingale but I found it too uncomfortable - I like to be hold of the reins if they're gonna bog off with me.
 
I use a neck string but it's for communication not safety as my horse neck reins. If I pull directly upwards on it it means stop or back. It saves her mouth.
 
If I'm using a martingale/breastplate the no - I just use this strap if I need to.

Without martingale/breastplate then yes.

Neck straps are becoming more popular, the other week at a dressage competition (unaff) nearly everyone was using one.
 
Quite a bit yes - there have been a good few times when I haven't worn it - show ring etc when I ave gone to grab it and it wasn't there .... no mane either = hello floor !!

I recommend it with kids quite a bit or a hand full of mane
 
I ALWAYS use one and feel naked without it! You never know when you may use it and I think it's good practice and saves mouths and falls in an emergency.
My daughter rarely uses one but I insist when she rides our young WB and the last time she rode him he bucked over his ears 4 times and it was only the neckstrap that kept her on board. All her nails were bruised he bucked that violently!
So imo it has nothing to do with skill level or confidence it is as important to use a neckstrap as wearing a riding hat!
 
I put a neck strap on my youngster when I backed her a couple of weeks ago but TBH found it's too far away from my hands to grab it should I have needed it; so bought one of those leather straps which fit across the D-rings on the front of her saddle instead. I find this is close enough to my hands when I'm riding that I could catch hold of if she spooked without having to lean more forward.

Must admit, I've always ridden with a martingale or breastplate in place but have never thought to grab at their neck strap - ever. Guess for the same reason I didn't find the xl stirrup leather around the neck much use. Just too far away from my hands when something goes amiss!
 
I use a neack strap while teaching youngsters to jump. Last thing you want to do is get caught on a funny jump and sock your baby in the mouth accidently.
 
Ladylina83 said:
Really ??? I did not know you could do that !!! brilliant news - thanks
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Yup. This was at a centre that runs a lot of BD so their unaff shows often have a lot of youngsters (before they BD) hence the load of neckstraps.

They are allowed in BD prelim and 4yo classes iirc

For riding club events neckstraps at prelim level and novice riding test.
Breastplates can be used at any level.

They can be used for warming up at any level.
 
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I am at the moment using one on a young horse who has a tendency to rush/jog. Would rather give him a little pull on the neck strap and a verbal command than be constantly nagging his mouth.

(daughter has a balance strap- her 'emergency handle' she calls it:D)
 
I use a balance strap instead, always. It just lives on my saddle so is always there should I suddenly find myself in a sticky situation! Got a legendary horse, and am reasnobly confident on her, but should she have a silly spook or a bit of a 'moment' then it is there and I can hook my thumb under it if we are on springs and totally leave her mouth along - she chills much better this way! If I don't need it then it doesn't affect anything so no harm in taking it along for the ride!
I use it when we compete at dressage too - glad we are still at prelim so it is allowed! I don't see the sense in not allowing it at higher levels. If you are working at whatever level and you need to ride while permanently holding on to it or your horse is a muppet so you need it - then I would expect your rider marks and submission marks to be hit - so should really be free choice.
 
If I need something I will attach a flash strap to the d rings at the front of the saddle. As has been said before, leaning forward to grab a neck strap when a horse is bucking would make me more at risk to falling off!
 
I use a hunting breastplate at all times. Its got that handy strap that I can slip a couple of fingers under if neccesary to avoid jabbing my pony in her mouth.

Will also pop one on my youngster when I back her.
 
I don't use one, and only use a martingale/breastplate for jumping so I can hold on to that if I need to.

If she spooks out hacking I normally grab some mane!
 
and if it's good enough for Mr WFP (he talked about it in his Hartpury lect/demo, full transcript on EWW if anyone wants to read it) then it's definitely not shameful for any lesser rider imho!

Sorry - probably being a numpty....but what/where is EWW?
 
I use a breast girth as a neck strap for hunting as my boy doesn't wear a martingale and a neck strap comes in quite handy when we come across any ditches!
 
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