Equine Skeletal Systems: The Horse’s Neck

Your horse's neck is an incredible system including over a hundred different muscles and seven large vertebrae. Regardless of the similarities, each horse has a different structure and unique posture - just like people. This causes variation in physical appearance, ability, and even, behavior. Horses' daily routines include constant movement of their neck down to the ground and back up for grazing, which requires a significant amount of muscular support. In fact, much of the neck's mass is muscling, and makes up 6% of their body entire weight. In addition to the muscular support provided by the neck, it is also used as a balancing mechanism; a horse's head and neck position is directly related to their freedom of movement and weight distribution of the locomotor system. Since the neck of the horse holds such high importance structurally and functionally, it is imperative to practice good maintenance routines to help keep those areas free of soreness, stiffness, or injury. The best method to use to keep your horse sound and pain free is to exercise preventative techniques. A proper preventative care regimen can include elements such as stretches, exercise and therapy.

Proper Stretching Technique

A good stretch to practice with your horses can be as simple as holding a treat. Before your ride, take a few treats in your hand and use them to get your horse to stretch. For example, stand in a safe area and hold a treat to your horse's shoulder. The horse should stretch their neck around to that side, which you should hold the treat for approximately 15 seconds on both the left and the right shoulder to perform the stretch, then down to their chest for a 10 second stretch. DON'T FORGET THE PROPER TECHNIQUE FOR FEEDING TREATS: In general, always feed treats with a fully open, flat hand to assure your horse doesn't accidentally get a hold of your fingers. If your horse tends to become barn sour, DO NOT feed these treats in the barn as this encourages the behavior. Feed your treats BEFORE you ride when you catch them in the field.

Additional Therapies

There are a multitude of therapies that are offered for your horse's neck. Although there are ample methods that may work for you, here at BeneFab® by Sore No-More®, we focus on all-natural, research-backed therapies.

For stiff polls:

The Therapeutic Poll Pad is an affordable product that targets relaxation in the poll area which helps align the poll, neck and back muscles. It is also excellent for TMJ, head tilting and/or neck stiffness. Improve overall collection, suppleness and acceptance of the bit >>> Click here to get yours today.

For sore and/or tight muscles:

We highly recommend Sore No-More® liniments and gelotions. Sore No-More® products are made with an all-natural, non-irritating, Arnica-based herbal blend that is clinically proven to decrease back pain in horses, but can be used in all areas to help reduce pain. Sore No-More® offers a multitude of products for your horse from fly sprays to poultices, but for neck pain, we recommend their Performance Ultra Liniment, which is a clinically proven, FEI-Approved formula that sprays on easily and gets the job done. You can get yours >>> here.

For a dual therapy:

In addition to Sore No-More®, we also recommend ceramic and magnetic therapy, which is incorporated into our SMART products. Ceramic therapy increases blood circulation and reduces inflammation while our Magnetic therapy draws blood to specific, pre-determined acupuncture points for a more targeted therapy. For a dual therapy, our SMART line offers the benefits of both therapies at once. Our SmartHood is designed for the equine athlete's neck, with magnets lining the vertebrae and acupressure points. It's not only great for rehabilitation of injuries, soreness, and stiffness, but also prevention! Incorporate a SmartHood into your horse's daily routine and reap the wellness benefits. Our customer promise is increased mobility and reduced pain in three weeks. We stand by our products 100%, so your sure to be satisfied. Get yours >>> here. We sincerely hope this information will serve you well in your future endeavors. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us - we're always here to help!