How to train that big dramatic neck arch?

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

My stallion sets up like a QH and parks out like a saddlebred like a doll, but how do i teach him to do that big dramatic neck arch you see in the big boy halter horses? He is my first mini, but defintiely not my first showhorse.

Thank yoU!

 

[Tremor]

I haven't been to many AMHR shows (ok....only one but it was an eye opener) and haven't yet showed.

What I have seen is that people in the ring entice the horse/pony to stretch their neck and perk their ears up. I've been people use tin foil, grass, and treats. For pasture pictures I've heard people use animals and plastic bags for the effect.

I didn't know you could actually train a horse to stretch their neck though!

 

[Riverdance]

There is more to it then that. If you just entice them to stick out their neck with their ears forward. That is what you are going to get. You have to work with them to get their heads up and teach them to arch it. It is easier to do if they have a pole. Many Minis do not have one and therefore can not arch.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Mine most definitely can arch! Hes a stud, and he does it routinely while fence flirting with the drafties in the field over. He's in a bitting rig 40 mins 3x a week at a w/t/c to build a top too.

 

[disneyhorse]

You only get it briefly while baiting the horse, so learn to save it for when the judge looks at your horse.

 

[minimomNC]

There is a big difference in the arch you see on a stallion looking for mares and the hooky neck you see in the show ring. Every horse can arch, not all have the more forward poll that gives that little bit extra for them to hook. So its not as much training as it is conformation.

 

[tagalong]

It is easier to do if they have a pole. Many Minis do not have one and therefore can not arch.

All horses have a poll.

That is merely the top of their neck. Not all horses have a "hook" - that arch and bend that looks so good when they "show".

 

[Riverdance]

All horses have a poll.

That is merely the top of their neck. Not all horses have a "hook" - that arch and bend that looks so good when they "show".

Actually, most Minis have a top of their neck, but not a poll. Most Minis can not tuck their heads the way most driving horses and breeds can. Nor can many give that arch one looks for at the horse show. To do that, one has to have a true "poll" not just a top of the neck.

 

[tagalong]

The poll is the top of neck at the ears on ALL horses. How they "break" or flex at or behind the poll is another matter and may be what you are referring to - but all horses certainly do have a poll - including minis. The ability to tuck and stretch and round over their neck/crest is also dependent on how their neck ties in, whether it is upside down (swan-necked or ewe-necked), how thick their throat latch is etc. That arch you look for at the shows is often described as being "hooky" or having a "hook"...

HERE is a good explanation of how the neck muscles work - including the poll.

And another interesting view HERE...

Equestrians seek collection at the poll. In horses, polls have nothing to do with politics. A horse's poll is a critical point for equestrian sports, though not for elections. The equine poll may play a fairly significant role in a horse show judge's evaluation of that horse and his performance.
What is a horse's poll?

Technically speaking, the poll is a bony point at the very top of an equine skull, located slightly behind and right between the horse's ears. According to All About Horses, the poll is situated between the frontal bone and the temporal fossa.

When a horse stands erect and tall, the poll is the highest point of his entire skeletal structure, as an online chart from Equus Dreams displays.

Among equestrians, however, the term "poll" has gained a slightly broader usage. Most horsey folks discuss the poll as a poll joint, located at the juncture between the top cervical vertebra or atlas joint (C-1 on the horse's spine) and the cranial bones of a horse's skull. A horse's head usually has a slight indentation at this point.

Sue Morris, of Classical Dressage, explains it this way: "People will often talk about the poll as if it is a joint, even calling it the poll joint, but this is incorrect. The actual poll is the top portion of the skull and as such is immovable. The joint that we refer to is where the first cervical vertebra attaches to the skull, which is slightly lower than the poll region."

Why is the horse's poll significant to horseback riding?

The poll joint is particularly sensitive to pressure. This is the spot where a bridle's crownpiece passes over the top of a horse's head. This is also the exact site where a leather, web or rope halter will come into contact with a horse's skull. By applying even slight pressure to the tack, a horse handler or rider can significantly influence the horse.

In nearly any equestrian discipline, a major goal of both trainers and riders is to gain the appropriate level of flexion in the horse, particularly at the poll.

Flexion is a compliant and athletic bending of the horse's poll joint, which indicates that the horse is accepting the bit in his mouth and heeding the handler or rider's cues (particularly the bridle, bit, and reins or lunge line).

For example, in a dressage show class (such as a United States Dressage Foundation competition), the judges wish to see a horse moving forward willingly with his poll as the highest point of his stature, while holding his face in a vertical position at a 90-degree angle to the ground). Both under-flexion and over-flexion are undesirable.

A horse who proceeds fluidly forward with willing flexion and acceptance of the bit and light rein contact is considered to traveling with collection. From the most basic introductory equestrian levels to Grand Prix competitions, this is the goal and the most desirable way of demonstrating an equine's beauty and natural athleticism in a horse show.

Also, in horse show classes, whether English or Western, when horses must stand for the judges' evaluation, either individually or as a group, they are expected to hold themselves squarely and straightly, with their bodies balanced and even, from poll to tail.

Basically, when it comes to winning in the horse show ring, it's all about balance, and the poll's the goal.

 

[Minimor]

Tagalong is correct--all horses have a poll....the ability to "hook" or to work in the frame desirable for a show ring driving horse is something different, dependent on the factors described by tagalong.

 

[targetsmom]

Thank you Tagalong - Excellent information and diagrams. I am too chicken to post a photo of my driving mare "on the bit" with her poll at the highest point, and her rear end well energized. I think the diagrams are good enough.