Why we need to be very, very careful with horses' necks
We need to ride our horses in a way that teaches them how to correctly use their head and neck, instead of pulling them into a certain position.
Horses' necks play a huge part in their locomotion. Since the head and neck represent about 10% of the horse's body weight, their position will have a big impact on the rest of the body. During movement, the horse uses his head and neck as a balancing tool, so the position of the head will always reflect what is going on in the rest of the horse's body. When the horse's body is balanced, the head and neck will form a beautiful arch and they will get a more collected« appearance. Unfortunately, some modern riding techniques have turned this around. By forcing the head and neck into a certain frame, they create an image of false balance, which, to the untrained eye, might seem very impressive. Unfortunately, the art of training horses is not as simple as pulling the head into a certain position. This false balance leads to tightness, pain and many injuries down the line.
One of the areas that gets really, really messed up by this kind of riding, is the area between the last two cervical vertebrae and the first few thoracic vertebrae – the base of the neck. Here, the spine forms a sort of valley, which, when the horse is truly balanced, will lift up and become shallower. When his head and neck are pulled down and held in a certain position, this valley will become deeper, and the vertebrae will become compressed. Compression in this area brings on a whole host of other issues, like nerve entrapment, thoracic sling dysfunction and eventually, lower limb issues.
Recent scientific discoveries (most of them led by the remarkable Sharon May-Davis), have shown that the base of the neck area is very vulnerable in the modern horse. Here's why. For a long time, it was thought that the lower cervical vertebrae are supported by the funicular part of the nuchal ligament. Recent research has shown that this is not actually the case, as modern horses actually lack the ligament in the lower segments of the cervical spine. This means that the last few vertebrae of the neck are not supported by this strong ligament.
The modern horse is actually missing the lower attachments of the nuchal ligament.
Another issue with the base of the neck area is the fact that in a lot of horses (especially Warmbloods) we see a malformation of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae (look up research on ECVM, it is a worthwhile read), which will have different consequences, depending on the severity of the malformation. Add to this the fact that we are breeding horses that are more and more flexible, meaning they have a harder time stabilizing the spine, and you see why we need to treat the horse's neck so, so very gently.
The necks of modern horses are long and flexible, making them very susceptible to damage from improper riding.
Creating a false frame with the reins will always have a huge negative impact on the base of the neck and thoracic sling and dysfunction in those two will wreak havoc on the rest of the body. Instead of taking shortcuts, take the time to teach the horse how to properly protect his neck. It might mean you will start competing later, but the long run, it will help your horse live a happier and healthier life.