A closer look at : The Neck

A Closer Look At The........Neck. 😎

As with ALL other areas of the body, mobility is key.
The more movement, the less tension, the less strain on an area... or areaS.
 

Lack of mobility in the neck will not only affect the local dynamics but greatly affect other areas too. 👆
Like everything in the horse body everything is interconnected. 

If the neck cannot move correctly then there will be performance issues throughout the body. Yep... Here I go again ! 
 

 But I feel the need to remind everyone of this ! 

It is the fact that the neck is so intrinsically related to other areas that means that it is often affected. However, these relationships can be used to our advantage in some respects as by mobilizing the neck we can help mobilize other areas. So it's not all doom and gloom 
 

The neck plays an important role in the mobility of the horse. It has to carry the weight of the head while allowing the flow of movement from one end of the body to the other.

Swinging through the body, ... that's what we want ! 

The Anatomy: 👆
There are seven vertebrae that make up the neck called the cervical vertebrae (C1-7).
At the upper part of the neck the skull is attached to the first bone of the neck (C1 or Atlas). 
The Atlas shaped like a little rooftop or mushroom-top (lid) makes a connection to the Occipital bone at the back of the head (C0). We won't go into detail about the head and poll in this post, keeping focus on the neck!

At the lower end of the neck, the last vertebrae (C7) makes an attachment to the thoracic region. This is where we have the first ribs and the entrance to the thoracic cavity (Thoracic Inlet). 
So what we would think of as the front part of the chest-area.

* The thoracic cavity contains a lot of important vessels (veins, arteries, nerves, food and wind pipes and any attachments) most of which have to enter/exit via the thoracic inlet.
* The thorax also contains the heart and lungs internally. 
* Externally the thoracic cavity has the forelimbs attached and will have the weight of the rider and saddle on it.

 

▪️So now we must consider that poll/head tension can create strain in the neck, especially the upper part. Some of many factors to consider are dental issues, bit pressure, rider pressure and exercise or way of training.
▪️We should also consider that poor saddle fit, rider issues and forelimb problems (also including foot balance) can create tension from the opposite direction resulting in more tension at the base of the neck, including the thoracic inlet and forelimbs.

So if you have a problem in this region, it can come from one end or the other of the chain, or the middle of the chain, as they work in tandem.

Another interesting point is that the motion and mobility of the cervical (neck) vertebrae is strongly related to the lumbar (lower back) vertebrae. 
A reduction in mobility of one can create mobility issues in the other. 

Once again, in direction front to back or the other way around !  So mobilising the neck helps the lower back and vice versa. 

Nice to know, huh ! 
 

There are a lot more things that we could discuss regarding the neck but the real "take-home" message is that maintaining a good range of mobility in the neck will not only help the neck itself but the local areas too....meaning poll/head and the thoracic region and front limbs BUT also the lower back.

😎How-To simple guide for Neck Mobility:
Please note: in some cases diagnostic imaging is necessary to rule out veterinary issues. These are tips for horses that do not have serious issues that have to be tended to by a veterinarian ! 
But on the whole gentle, regular mobilisation is key to reducing neck tension.

This in many ways can be achieved through simple things like : 

✔️Static mobilisations such as carrot stretches or gentle translations/oscillation
✔️In-hand dynamic exercises such as ground/pole work
✔️Manual therapy
✔️Feeding your horse from the floor is also an underestimated technique.

Have fun mobilizing, your horse will thank you !