04/25/2026
This is so true on so many levels. There are very important biomechanical reasons for developing the neck and whole thoracic sling correctly. There are also safety reasons for being able to manage a horses neck correctly. Often, the first physical sign of the horse saying "No", is in the neck. They throw their head up or stick it straight out and brace. If you have the neck, then you can "lead the dance". In Dressage, one hears all the time that you send the horse forward to your hand and make them round. Okay... but how...
There are a 1,000 roads to Rome...
The bullseye is the result of 1,000 misses...
I have found that there are many horses that, when sent forward to very still fists, will go happily forward with a giraffe neck, hanging on the reins, forever. You can put them in side reins and, done very carefully, and shortened slowly over weeks, you might get them to round up a bit, but this often ends up shortening the neck and you lose the throughness, the losgelassenheit, and the freedom from tension you are trying to acheive in developing a rein connection.
I like to start with getting submission or yielding or softening to one rein at a time. I like to start this by yielding the outside rein and allowing the horse to stretch into the bend rather than just pulling and shortening the inside rein. The goal in Dressage is not really to have the horse "on" the outside rein, but to have the horse fill the outside rein. Yielding the outside rein, in a way, amplifies the effect of the inside rein, without the rider having to get stronger with the inside rein. The other thing that happens is that when the horse bends because of the yielding outside rein, they also lower the neck. This is just rein education 101A for the horse. Once you have the horse understanding how to soften and give to one rein, you can start to ask with both reins. The goal is the beginning of the understanding for the horse of a half halt. That you can send the horse forward from the leg to a still hand (not pulling and not yielding) and the horse answers by softening into the contact, perhaps lowering the neck a little and rounding the neck.
Early on, the horse needs to go in a lower frame so as to engage the nuchal ligament which biomechanically pulls the wither forward and up. This, in turn, engages the spinous ligaments which are responsible for supporting the skeleton so the muscles are free for locomotion rather than the muscles having to be braced to support the skeleton. We can now develop the muscles correctly so as to take over the function of the nuchal ligament and this is what allows us to get more engagement and a more uphill way of going, with the poll more up, without sacrificing throughness. A long journey indeed... it is strength training.
My name is Tina Steward. I am an Equine Veterinarian, Chiropractor and FEI level Dressage Instructor. I am offering Virtual Dressage lessons. If you want some help with getting your horse's neck to function correctly and beautifully, I invite you to contact me through PM or my website tinastewarddvm.com
This is a drawing I did over 50 years ago... yep... I am an "old boat" 😁😁😁
