>>>Yes, some horses are born like that, and it's up to us to help them to use their bodies to their advantage when carrying a rider.
Definitely and it is also important that the type of groundwork we are doing is not inadvertently encouraging the posture. Any type of work that creates a head up, back dropped posture is not good & any bracing at the base of the neck. >>>I think these horses (born with ewe necks), when starting them, need a lot of long and low and miles of walking with their heads and necks relaxed on a loose rein. IME that does not necessarily change a ewe neck - you need to be sure that you are also asking the horse to engage their hind legs at the walk not just let them fall forward. Also how the riders sits will totally influence the carriage of the horse - sitting in neutral as opposed to even slightly hollow in your back or sitting on your pockets pushes a horse on the forehand even more. >>>Contact and gait training can come in much later down the road A light contact can really help a horse become more balanced BUT not side reins, draw reins or any of the gadgets that are so often used for riding and lunging. Gait training definitely after the horse has learned to carry himself and be able to release the base of the neck. Robyn Icelandic Horse Farm Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty Vernon BC Canada www.icefarm.com .
