Hello Everyone!

This will be an extremely short blog. The title of this blog speaks for itself and the video will explain why we should not tie horses necks around to the saddle or anything.

Recently I have seen and treated multiple horses with severe scar tissue and damage to their cervical (and thoracic) spine by being tied around to the saddle as a means to “fix” a problem of their necks being stiff, not straight, tilting, nose to one side etc. I have to advocate for this “tool” and method to be better understood as a means of HARM versus betterment for the horse.

Plain and simple: THIS IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM!

The reason WHY the horses neck is stiff to one side, not straight to one side, tilts head to one side, nose to one side, cannot keep its eye on you on one side, wags to one side is because the horse IS HURT AND/OR INJURED!.

Let me say this again differently….THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG AND IT IS NOT NORMAL!

I understand that a trainer has to get a job done so that the horse is good for the amateur rider. This common “tool” or method used to solve this problem, unfortunately for the horse, is not the correct solution to the problem as the veterinary profession should be able to quickly explain WHY this “tool” or method creates more problems for the horse.

Many people state that the horse has been stiff to one side, won’t give to one side or rigid in its neck since it was started. If this is true, then the simple fact is that your horse has been hurt or injured prior to being started! It is unbelievable to me that people cannot wrap their brains around the fact that a young horse can get injured. I know that when I was a kid I got injured all the time falling out of trees, broke my left wrist falling off the elementary school roof (do not ask why I was up there) and many other stupid reckless endeavors my brother and I thought were “fun” that got one or both of us hurt or injured. STUFF HAPPENS! It is the AWARENESS that IT IS NOT NORMAL or SOMETHING IS WRONG. Especially when the colt starter has 10 horses a month with your horse being the only one “stiff to one side”. If they say that to you, there is something wrong.

Solutions? Slow stretching on the ground or under saddle along with carrot/treat stretches AWAY (not tight) from the horses body is beneficial for stiffness and soreness. However, if improvement is not seen, you need to realize that something is wrong that will need to be addressed by a sports medicine veterinarian.

Please share this blog and my podcast with your horse friends, and comment below if this was helpful. Most importantly, remember to always put The Horse First. And please stop tying horses necks around to saddles or anything! There is a alway a reason WHY the horse does what it does!

AJD