As a horse owner, the one thing you don’t want your horse to suffer from is locked neck.

We all want (I hope!) the horse’s neck to be free and in balance. And for a good reason, it has a major bio mechanical impact!

If you don’t have forehand control, you won’t have propulsion & collection.  But, what we tend to forget is that the neck is very important for the general balance of the body.

It is the exit point of the skull, where the central nervous system relays with the peripheral (in the spinal cord, along the spine).

It is also the place where the Vagus nerve comes out. It ensures the sensitivity of a multitude of organs: pharynx, larynx, oesophagus, trachea, bronchi, heart, large vessels, abdominal viscera.

It provides nerve fibers which allow a balance between activity and rest of the viscera. If your horse has tension in the neck, maintained by work (Hyperflexion or Rollkur, LDR (Low, Deep and Round)), he may eventually develop a large number of functional disorders. (colic, gastric ulcers and many more).

It is therefore essential to ensure the good health and balance of this hinge!