Releasing a Tight Neck

by Linda Tellington-Jones

Reprint from TTEAM UP WITH YOUR HORSE Pp. 6-8 Vol 2 #1 May/June, l998

These simple exercises improve and maintain elasticity and suppleness in your horse's neck.

Tightness in a horse's neck is a common cause of resistance, soreness, shortened stride, a "bad attitude" and inability to perform up to potential. Common causes of tightness are a horse's natural posture or carriage, overcollection with no opportunity to stretch their necks, a heavy-handed rider or an ill-fitting saddle.

Some horses are born with the neck set high on the shoulder. This may give them the tendency to be high-headed and tight in the poll. I have seen a three-week-old Arabian foal who already had a knot near the poll because the nuchal ligament - the S-shaped structure that gives a horse's neck its characteristic shape - was so tight. He had a very tense, upright posture which mirrored his dam's. This carriage may affect him in the future because his habit will be to throw up his head, which then tightens the neck, back, and hindquarters in response to even careful signals from the rider. High-headed and high-strung or "hot" usually go hand in hand.

When the nuchal ligament is tight, a horse will usually have a knot at the top of the neck about six inches behind the poll. This "knot" may pop from one side of the neck to the other as the horse lowers or raises its head. Many horses with a tight nuchal ligament have a difficult time extending their necks so that their poll is even with the withers, as this position requires the elasticity of the neck be extended to its fullest. Such horses can easily hold their heads very high or very low (nose nearly on the ground), but holding it level with the withers is difficult.

Horses that never have the opportunity to graze or eat off the ground miss the natural stretching of their neck and back. Horses that are fed from a high feeder may be constantly tightening their necks just to eat. Small horses kept in stalls with high doors have to strain their necks in order to look out.

Riding style is another common cause of neck tension and tightness in many horses. The constant use of side-reins, draw reins, tie-downs and martingales is a major contributor to neck pain. Riding a horse in a shortened frame without allowing him or her to stretch out and lengthen often causes decreased circulation and so may lead to behavioral problems, poor performance and injury.

Even horses in ideal situations, with good riders and saddles that fit, may have some soreness or tightness in the neck. Think of how many people have neck and back stiffness or pain. The good news is that TTouch can help to improve and maintain elasticity and suppleness, and help your horse lengthen and release through the neck.

The Inch Worm is one of my favorite TTouches for daily care of the neck. It helps to release tightness along the nuchal ligament and encourages an ear-shy horse to lower the head as a way of working toward the ears. By relieving tightness, it increases circulation and often lengthens the stride. Relieving muscular tension in the neck makes injections less painful and relaxes the neck for mane pulling.

• When doing these exercises, attach your lead rope to the side ring of the halter or run the chain lead up one side and snap to the top ring. This will help your horse relax and be less likely to resist the "pull" of the lead when it's snapped to the bottom ring. Good luck!

TTEAM neck work will improve your horse's attitude, carriage and length of stride. To release tension in the neck of a horse who habitually travels in a high-headed posture or an overcollected frame, follow these steps.

• With one hand in the chin groove and the other of the crest starting about six inches behind the ears, encourage your horse's nose to move forward as you hand on the crest moves back.
• With one hand on the poll and the other beneath the chin groove, continue encouraging your horse to open the throatlatch and lower and extend the head.
• Standing in front of the horse, use Lying Leopard or Abalone TTouches around the muzzle area. This often encourages a horsed to reach forward with his nose and open the throatlatch.
• Once your horse has released his neck by opening the throatlatch, you can encourage lateral flexibility by asking him to turn his head to each side. With a hand on the front of the face and the other on the cheek, your horse should easily be able to bend his neck in both directions. Keep the plane of the face level rather than having the horse's nose tipped or leading.

Hair Circles: To do hair circles on the mane, pick up a small clump of mane at the root, make a circle and then slide your fingers to the end of the strands. With a really long mane, you might just slide a few inches up the hair. Move the another clump and repeat. This exercise can be done from the horse's back when you are riding. Many horses find this very relaxing. It's also good for horses that are tight in the neck to prepare them for mane pulling or injections. People, dogs, cats and birds also enjoy hair circles.

Neck Rocking: Neck rocking is a great way to loosen a tight neck or relax a tired horse who has been working hard. To do this exercise, place one hand on your horse's crest and the other under the neck and create a gentle rocking or jiggling motion. Repeat several times, moving your hands to new locations along the neck.

How to Do the Inch Worm

To begin the Inch Worm, place both hands over the top of the neck with your thumbs on one side and fingers on the other. Maintaining contact on the neck with your palms, move your hands toward each other, pushing the crest with your hands. This will create a slight loosening of the tissue between your hands while gently stretching the skin on the outside edges of your hands. Hold for a moment, then slowly return to the starting point and move your hands apart. You may notice a slight stretching of the crest tissue between your hands.

At this point, you have two choices. Either slowly bring your hands in to the original starting point; or slide your hands even farther apart, one going toward the withers and the other toward the ears. Move your hands a few inches to another spot on the crest and repeat.

Most horses really enjoy this TTouch and will readily lower their heads. If your horse has a tight neck or is resistant, use a hot towel or heating pad on the neck and do the Inch Worm over the pad. Variation: place one hand on the crest of the neck and the other on underneath the neck and follow the above procedure.

Inch Worm for Humans and Small Animals

The sense of "carrying the weight of the world" on your shoulders can be relieved using the Inch Worm on human shoulders. It is easiest to have your person sit in a chair so you can stand behind him or her with a hand on each shoulder. As with the horses, your thumbs are on one side and the fingers on the other. Be careful to avoid squeezing with your fingers - this exercise in not about massaging or kneading.

With your palms on the top of the shoulders and with enough contact to move the skin, slowly move your hands toward the person's neck without sliding across the tissue. Pause, allowing the skin to return to the starting position and then slowly pull the tissue apart by moving your hands apart. As with the horses, you have two choices in ending the Inch Worm: wither return the skin to the starting point; or maintaining a light contact, stroke across the shoulders and down the arms to the elbows.

Your dog or cat may appreciate the Inch Worm as well. Instead of the neck or shoulders, place your hands along your animal's back and repeat the contraction and extension of the skin along the spine. The TTouches especially useful with dogs that have a slightly roached back. A slight variation is to place one hand on the back of the animal, just in front of the loins, and the other under the belly. Follow same movement as described for a horse's neck.