Youngster with an ewe neck - would you be put off?

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vikuca

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Hi, I'm looking for a youngster at the moment and I've come across one that might suit but which has a marked ewe neck. I'm not sure whether I should be put off by that when the horse is only a two year old as surely it needs time to develop topline?? It seems to be very angular, although not thin, and looks like it might be going through a growth spurt.
As I've never bought anything younger than four, I'm not sure what stages they tend to go through, can anyone advise?
 
i dont think it would put me off, as you have said it is only a two year old, once it starts working i would think it will come right.
 
When I bought my 2 year old in the spring, I chose between him and another one which was lots prettier, but with a ewe neck. 6 months later the one I left behind still has a ewe neck, and I'm happy I made the choice I did.
 
well, someone has clearly didn't mind as I rang up and he had already been sold
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...i'll just have to keep searching I suppose.
 
Hi, new to the forum
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For me, it would depend if the ewe neck is muscular or skeletal. If the horse has a good shoulder and a well set on neck, with a good length of neck then i would consider it.
Is the horse fed up high from a net or manger? If so, the muscles underneath will be built up. I bought a miniature horse filly this summer, 18 months old with the most awful neck.
This is her beginning of august:
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And 10 weeks later, with some condition and topline on her - NO WORK, just feeding forage from the floor has increased her topline & the muscles underneath are disappearing:
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With conformation, you can build muscles but you can't shape bones!


Robyn
 
No offence to horses with ewe necks, I'm sure many make lovely horses but it would put me off, its a confirmation fault in my eyes, nothing to do with top line.

Its not just about what the horse looks like, when choosing a youngster, I dont go for pretty looks, I go for a good all round confirmation even at 2 years old, you should be able to make this out, its the building blocks, the foundations to a good healthy all round horse, which should be no. 1 priority.

But if you really really like the horse, dont let other peoples personal opinons stop you.
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If a horse is displaying essentially correct confirmation then a ewe neck can so often be corrected. Also the difference between youngsters and the older horse is that they often have no topline, and so can give the impression of having a ewe neck.

Not uncommon - and certainly not necessarily a confirmation fault.
 
I think the problem is in some cases is that people mistake what a ewe neck actually is, a gangly 2 year old with not much condition or indeed top line (which you don't really expect them to have) could be mistaken for a horse with what could be potentially a ewe neck.
 
i bought a foal with a ewe neck, took her to a show 10 days later where the judge did comment about her neck, saying that as she grows up, se should get rid of it and be fab - we still got a 3rd in that class, and 4 years later, she no longer has a ewe neck so no - when buying a youngster (2 or less) it wouldnt put me off
 
Having bought 2 different Appy's with ewe necks, I have no problem with them! Both cases were muscular, mainly from being ridden in inapropriate bits and fed from nets. They were both fed from the floor and did a lot of ridden sork in french link snaffles and both necks resolved themselves.
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