Youngster with a weak neck

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sallyellis

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I have been to see a horse today lovely in all ways bless him apart from he has a rather weak neck but he hasnt long been broken and is only rising 4 he does have a nice head carriage so my question is will his neck muscle up with work and fit his body and head or will he always look weak in the neck, this horse is turned out 24/7 and only fed hay.
 
Correct work will develop a better topline. However one of my horses is more TB to look at (he is Dutch wb) and despite working at medium level dressage he doesn't have a 'thick' neck. Another of mine has always had a well developed neck despite being only 5.
 
Depends whether the neck is just weak but set on correctly, or weak and upside down. The former will almost certainly improve with correct work and judicious feeding.

Have you any photos?
 
Well to me either you like the youngster or not. If he's out 24/7 and only fed hay and gone into serious work, which feeding hay doesn't put muscle on. If you cann't see that, pass him by. Constructive enough
 
thank you for answers guys sadly no pictures but his neck isnt upside down just looks scrawny compared to the rest of him but he is rising 4 cob x the rest of him is in proportion but his neck isnt yet but apparently when I was riding him it didnt look as bad ( my friends opinion) I was just wondering if he might fill out and muscle up as I was told by somebody a horse always grows into its head?
 
The question is Do you like him?? Feeding him up and work will muscle him up + the neck. Sounds to me you don't trust your own instinct. If you are asking other people for advice I'd say no but your friend did like him.
 
sallyellis said:
thank you for answers guys sadly no pictures but his neck isnt upside down just looks scrawny compared to the rest of him but he is rising 4 cob x the rest of him is in proportion but his neck isnt yet but apparently when I was riding him it didnt look as bad ( my friends opinion) I was just wondering if he might fill out and muscle up as I was told by somebody a horse always grows into its head?
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The last place a horse puts weight on (if he's/was poor or is growing) is his neck so if it's had a weight problem then you should be alright.
I agree with TGM though, if the make and set on of the head is right then the correct work will make a huge difference as he muscles up.
 
My TB has got a ewe neck but a) he's only a baby and b) he's not in work. He is fed like a King but it is winter so he's struggling to keep weight on consistently and without being in work, nothing is going to change.

I used to ride a horse and he was just all kinds of upside down, neck like a banana but the wrong way. Didn't stop him being one of the best flatwork horses i've ever ridden. Similary, Eric Winter (now BE cross-country course designer) used to have an event horse called Obi that was just all wrong in confirmation and he did his job perfectly well. Take a chance on him or don't. If you like him enough, you like him enough.
 
Thanks again guys, he is lovely and I do like him I think he will grow into himself as is very babylike but just being over cautious and dont want to think he will end up like a cut and shut! his neck isnt ewe just scrawny compared to his head he also needs to muscle up alround so hopefully all things going well he will be coming to live with me...
 
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