Swan Neck

Mypinkpony

Mypinkpony

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Just wondered if anyone has had a horse with a swan neck and how they managed to build the muscle in the right place.....he has a huge dip after the withers.

This is wikipedia swan neck explanantion:
A swan neck is set at a high upward angle, with the upper curve arched, yet a dip remains in front of the withers and the muscles bulge on the underside. This is common, especially in Saddlebreds, Gaited horses, and Thoroughbreds. A swan neck makes it easy for a horse to lean on the bit and curl behind without lifting its back. It is often caused by incorrect work or false collection.

This is him 100% and it's def been caused by bad ridding from his first owner, i got him from his 2nd owner and he was like this when she got him. My initial thought is he hasn't got the muscle to hold his head down so no 'gagets' will get the required outcome or be fair to them but then with him going round as he is surely he is just using that under muscle even more... at the moment i'm just trying to ride him pretty long so he drops his head a bit?

He's just turned 11, so not a spring chicken. when hacking and jumping i ride him just on the first setting of a market harborough just purely as he can throw his head up (he has so much under muscle its with some force!) and smack you in the chest so he's much better with this and i have more control and nerves:eek:.

i'm not the most experianced rider but we've done ok so far, been doing lots of ground work too and working on trust (he's very spooky too!) but he's got much better.:D

Mid morning tea and cakes for anyone who got this far...didn't mean for it to be quite so long...sorry!

Any advice from anyone thats experianced this would be great :)

Thank you so much :)
 
Oh photos if they help? :)
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My big girl has a tendency towards this, as did another horse I used to own. I had no school so whilst we were hacking I made sure that she was walking actively and swinging her back and her head was always below her withers and asked for just a tiny bit of nose backwards to flex the neck. Provided her head was below her withers and flexed I didn't try to fix it in position.

You'll help the look of it when plaited if you do far fewer plaits (my big girl has 7) and make the top ones littler, but the bottom ones where his neck is poor much larger. Plait straight up from the neck, start the plait loosely and after a couple of twists tighten it up to normal. When rolling the plait roll it down into the loose base and secure it above the neck so you can see a ridge of hair for each one giving the impression of a much bigger neck.
 
Thank you Dee....I had read somewhere about plaits being plaiting upwards and twisted ontop to make the neck seem bigger but this was my attempt at it :eek: What u have explained makes more sense....i'll try that next time, although i only plait for inhand...like to think i'd have a handful to grab for any shoulder drops when jumping he he :D

Ok i'm taking him round the woods on his own today so i'll try that, Thank you for replying :)
 
Isn't that a ewe neck? I thought a swan neck was more arched (like Arabs) where a ewe neck has the dip as you describe? My mare had this but working to get a decent top line has helped immensely.
 
i would say he is more ewe necked than swan necked. ;)

plaiting as suggested will make it appear better, but i would just continue as you are- riding long and low as much as possible, but would also try and collect him and engage his quarters for short periods during your ride to build up the top line slowly.

my mare used to have a very high head-carriage (typical arab) after finding the right bit and working her as i said above we went from star-gazing ewe necked youngster, to having a lovely neck. seeing as your boy is 11 it will be harder though, but little and often using his neck and quarters in the right way he'll soon strengthen. ;)

i would also feed hay from the floor, and try feeding any buckets from a hanging manger at chest height.

good luck, he looks very sweet. ;)

x
 
I consider that more ewe neck. Others have suggested good exercises. To be perfectly honest a bungee wouldn't be out of the realm and you still have to ride correctly. It flexes and works more with your hands on the bit correctly. Draw reins I'm not a fan of, but I don't mind a bungee on horses like this. Not offering a fix quick as you have to ride them for correct contact and can't rely on the reins to pull in, but it can enhance what you are doing.

Terri
 
Thanks guys, i guess it's ewe neck then :-)

I always feed hay from the floor to help the muscles build, and feed buckets are on the floor (not allowed buckets on the wall) so fingers crossed that's helping! I was told to put him on a high protein high fibre diet so he's on stud balancer, fast fibre, baileys condition mix and alpha a oil hay and horsehage.

I've got a harbridge and market harborough but he just leans on them so not helping me much long term. I have nothing against draw reins but I won't use them as I don't trust myself as I have never been taught to use them so not something id touch but bungee might be good, maybe ill try that. I lunge in the John Whitaker training aid too. He goes lovely in that.

Any ideas re bit? He's got a loose ring snaffle for the school and French link for hacking and jumping. Both in comfort bridles. I'm quite happy with them, tried him in a Mullen mouth but he didn't really have any bend


Thanks whisp, he is a sweetie. X
 
He looks a sweetie. I find draw reins "false" if that makes sense. Not saying they're useless, just not for me. I play around with my bungee too. I sometimes use it as a running martingale by knotting a bit, on top of head and snap on at breastplate. So not down between legs. Not tight. Just flexy work.

It takes time. My jumper mare came back to me unable to do proper flat and was basically ridden in draw reins by trainer. She did not know how to have proper contact. Only just now started to get her sorted. At least now when riding with nothing she can somewhat carry herself and work. It's nearly a year! Can't wait to see what she's like when her flat is spot on. She was already a glass jumper and yet hadn't all the tools in her box yet. A work in progress!

Terri
 
I know this is going to be a very very long process I just want to make sure I'm on the right track, can't afford mistakes. When, and That maybe 3 yrs time, we get thee it'll be so worth it :-) that's what im telling myself he he

Thank EL A few people have bungee on the yard so I'll just borrow one and see how he is.

Oh why do we do this to ourselves lol, he's only on full loan but I can't let him go so guess I'm just gonna have to take the challenge on lol. Xxx
 
If u have access to.a walker, this will.really help. Otherwise give him a long rein.and encourage him to strech long and low. Only collect him.in on a short rein for brief periods then let strech again, and if u can.do any circles (start large and gradually go smaller, 10 m r good) and encourage head lower on longer rein. He looks Fabby tho :-) x
 
Have you considered there might be a problem further back? i.e saddle fit? For a horse to work in an outline he must lift his back and if he cant do that because of pain or a poorly fitting saddle this will cause muscles to develop incorrectly. I agree with working him long and low and not using draw reins as you want him to work himself into an outline not force him. He will find it hard to work in an outline for a start but getting him head down would be my first aim after checking saddle. Good luck
 
Thanks Matilda, I don't have access to a horse walker, now that would be fab. I do try the circles but ive been doing it opposite, 10m to big, i'll try your way.

Thanks WeeAnne i brought him a saddle and had it fitted in feb so that should be ok. he came to me in a wintec and used to figet around when i got on him in that...this one he doesn't blink. he did have a bad fitting saddle when he's owner got him, 4 years ago, lead to some back problems but he is fine now, just has a mc timothy (?) chiro once a year..... but he still hates seeing a saddle :( Do you think this would have any effect?
 
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