|
|
Regular
Posts: 94
| My barrel horse has an ewe neck but it is not his confirmation, it's a muscle on the bottom side of his neck. From what I have heard they gain muscle there from carrying their head high and it can be corrected. What can I do to fix this? |
|
| |
|
 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
  
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | no fix.if he carries his head high it would be how his neck comes out of his shoulders........so id say its his god given comformation........
m |
|
| |
|
  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
 
Location: Florida.. | some not all are from using the wrong muscles .. his back is weak. and heads high.. Sometimes we have had to correct alot of Jumpers with what we call upside neck.
we dont want that..... you barrel racers might I dont know.
You can help it by working the back muscles and topline.
it takes time
lots of stretches and deep work. long and low.
keep the horse suppled down and suppling him alot to make him lower his head and round up from hind to poll.
lunging with surcingle and side reins will help if done properly and or longlining (driving )
key is to make them work deeper and rounder til they develop the proper back muscles to carry this frame..
like i said though..............time ..... and not sure what barrel racers do or if they do anything . |
|
| |
|
Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | I agree with Biblia. Learning to ride and lunge him in a correct outline. Establishing a soft connection and getting him on the bit, really working through his back with his head and neck down and on the vertical. If you don't know how to go about it, is it possible to get some dressage lessons? They really teach you how to ride correctly and effectively to cure and prevent that nasty muscling on the underside of the neck. |
|
| |
|
 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I agree: long and low. You want to build the whole top line. Even on a truly ewe necked horse, you can help them, if not totally fix it.
First pic was a couple of years after I got this horse. Second pic, he was 22 and had been retired for 4 years, but you could still see the results of YEARS I spent building his top line--he never lost it.
 |
|
| |
|
| I have a horse that tends to be that way. Part of it was teeth. His teeth have never been really bad, but just a few sharp edges will make him brace and develop the lower musces in his neck. Strengthening the top line as mentioned by others is the other thing. The correct exercises, a qualified equine dentist, and a chiropractor to keep him using his body correctly will all help to correct that.
Oh, and make sure the saddle fits him.
Edited by MO gal 2014-07-31 10:01 AM
|
|
| |
|
I Need a Xanax!
Posts: 2774
| Three 4 Luck - 2014-07-31 9:54 AM
I agree: long and low. You want to build the whole top line. Even on a truly ewe necked horse, you can help them, if not totally fix it.
First pic was a couple of years after I got this horse. Second pic, he was 22 and had been retired for 4 years, but you could still see the results of YEARS I spent building his top line--he never lost it.
Wow, totally amazing change. That's about the worse ewe neck I've ever seen but you nearly totally reversed the size of the top and bottom muscles. Great job! |
|
| |
|
Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Thank you!! He was a very special horse--heart of gold, amazing athlete, and so much FUN to ride. |
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 94
| Here is a picture of my gelding, does it look bad to you?! |
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 94
| .
 (IMG_3156 (2) (75x37).jpg)
Attachments
----------------
 IMG_3156 (2) (75x37).jpg (30KB - 253 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 94
| darn it that's too small.
Here...
 (IMG_3156 (2) (200x98).jpg)
Attachments
----------------
IMG_3156 (2) (200x98).jpg (44KB - 245 downloads)
|
|
| |
|
 Mouhahaha
Posts: 1786
Location: British Columbia | barrelracing? - 2014-07-31 8:39 PM darn it that's too small. Here...
I think if he gained some weight all around and you worked his topline how the others suggested, I think you'd see huge improvement. |
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 94
| How do you get a horse to move "long and low" to build a topline? I've heard of going up hills, which I have zero of in my area! |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3300
| Going up hills won't help a top line... Long and low look at horses that drop their necks.. You can't make one do it and you can screw one up trying to do it if you don't know how |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 2685
| Probably a big dumb question but here I go lol. I have a horse like this (not mine but I have it lol) that I have been working on the long & low with and with my other 3 it has been fine but they don't naturally carry their head high and this horse does. Would draw reins or running martingale help start to bring their head down? Like when I go from a walk to a trot she raises her head. She'll usually kind of twitch her ears at me for asking for speed and just stay trotting with her head up. Wth? All of my others if the do give me tude when I ask for a trot or faster speed or whatever will go right back to traveling with their head level or whatever but not her. I have been working on her collecting and giving to the bit instead of bracing or fussing OR raising her head and she is getting better SLOWLY 0.o but I wondered if a training device (other than surcingle & driving reins) could help?
The other day I long trotted her in the pasture with draw reins and I basically would ask her to give and drop her poll ever so slightly and then release and we did this for about 15 mins. I don't want to make her sore but am I on the right track or no? Don't eat me.. |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | roanie yes that will help her alot.keep in mind that when you do it and shes strong enough if she keeps her head there its ok.. least you have a good strong back. we always let them up in intervels and some just naturally carry them higher.. but it will build her back and topline to be strong so she can carry herself....then she may do it naturally .we like them comfortable..
if we build and make her back strong and able to carry head proper then its comfortable.. if we do not work and make her strong enough then it is not comfortable and will cause soreness...think of it as a tool todevelop strength and buld muscle so she can do it on her own comfortably.. not as a restraining device.. it helps her learn and you as to what the feel is to make the back strong. without a strong back.. horse cant carry itself..
Dont over to it.another is to Get her engaged on hind. Over the top line not just neck and it works beautiful .use 3 peice snaffle is all we use with them when needed. You don't want to use but once or twice a week or horse will start depending on them. Your doing right by releasing but don't throw away. Ask her round and then slight release so she doesn't overdo it .I'd only do 30 minute workouts with them. .you can do canter work same way. I like to get up off horses back and let them use their back freely as a do it but that's me. If horse gets stronger do half halts ..ask her to sit back more into collection and come up some but it takes time and only for short intervals until horse is strong
Edited by Bibliafarm 2014-08-01 8:31 AM
|
|
| |
|
Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | I only use a snaffle and split reins to do it, BUT I get them very broke first before I start worrying about where their head is. And don't underestimate the power of a good, swinging, ground-grabbing walk. I think the walk is harder to perfect than the trot, but it's easier to adjust their head position. |
|
| |
|
Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Lots of people use a german martingale. I would use that or draw reins.
Honestly, I work on collection and getting them to lift the back up. You can push the head down with a training aid, but you have to support that with proper body position (for the horse), otherwise it won't develop the proper muscles, they will just tuck the nose but keep the back hollow.
I am not great at explaining it. Bibs did a better job. hahaha
Personally, if you start working a horse correctly during your slow work, the topline will come. It may never be what you would like to see due to conformation, but it will definitely improve (JMHO). Google BHN and Collection and you will find some good articles explaining it from a barrel racer's perspective. :) |
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | I agree Alison .... you have to use the horses body to do it .. and support from you.. when its done right and horse is strong enough you will feel his back come up and the energy from the hind come thru to poll.. and go back ..
thats true hind engagement and proper collection.even with long and low or deep you should have in the end after working on it for a bit.. that feel..
I think Roanie understands what We mean for we have had many conversations ..shes on the right track for sure.:)
Edited by Bibliafarm 2014-08-01 8:22 AM
|
|
| |
|
Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | barrelracing? - 2014-08-01 12:23 AM How do you get a horse to move "long and low" to build a topline? I've heard of going up hills, which I have zero of in my area!
get some cavalletis or ground poles.. stand them up about 5 then 10 inches off ground. let her trot over them.. helps build their back up to.. let her round up to do it. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 3300
| this is what i do all my horses push into the bit... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kImhMp3sgI walk trot lope but the walk is the hardest to do they get pissy lol... |
|
| |
