I wouldn’t be without a neck strap!
The humble neck strap is an often underappreciated piece of tack, yet can be extremely useful to riders across all levels and disciplines. Louise Calverley takes a look at why such an innocuous looking piece of kit can be so helpful
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NECK STRAPS ARE often associated with young or sharp horses. However, all kinds of riders use them, and all have their own reasons for doing so — even five-star and Olympic eventer William Fox-pitt is well known for always using one, including at the very highest level of competition.
Mitty Hardy runs a schooling and sales livery yard in Herefordshire. She competes up to two-star level at British Eventing, and in British Showjumping and British Dressage competitions.
“I have a lot of horses who are just backed or fresh. I always use a neck strap on an unknown horse for extra security. When we are training our youngsters, a neck strap means we can leave the horse’s mouth alone, which is so important. When they are young and throw in a big jump or chip in a stride, using a neck strap means you don’t catch them in the mouth and can stay soft.
“I also have a lot of clients coming to ride unknown horses — from my perspective, they are unknown riders, so I tend to pop a neck strap on for clients to try horses. I think just the fact it’s there can boost confidence.
“Having one on does become a habit and you almost feel bare without it. I have a very powerful big-jumping mare and for anything like cross-country schooling I always put one on, especially for drop fences where I tend to slip my fingers in, loosen the reins and sit back.”
Extra balance
Hannah Jones is a full-time vet who events up to CIC3* level and competes in advanced medium dressage on her homebred horses. She agrees that a neck strap is an extremely useful tool.
“I generally use a neck strap when
“For me a neck strap is
equivalent to my seat belt. No horse is 100% bombproof so I have a habit
of putting one on anyway”
Coach and rider Stella Bunn
I’m starting youngsters, especially when first hacking and jumping. It’s a great tool if you become unbalanced or if they throw an awkward jump as you won’t pull them in the mouth. I will also sometimes put a finger through the strap if I’m expecting a big jump, like off a step for the first time.
“Also, they are useful for using as a marker to keep your hands pushed forward and in the correct place for flatwork and jumping.”
Hannah finds a neck strap particularly useful on 2 Unlimited (‘Leo’).
“When I was breaking him in he was very jumpy. In the school, every time I asked for trot and he felt me move he couldn’t cope and either stopped or shot off. I looped my fingers through the neck strap for extra balance and stability. That meant I could be really subtle and careful with starting to rise to the trot.
“We did really short bits like that and gradually built it up. The neck strap was so useful to take some of my weight or control my body weight if he panicked.”
‘An affordable gadget’
Whether you are using a neck strap out hacking on a windy winter’s day for extra security, for extra confidence or in competition, they are generally a cheap and easy piece of equipment to use.
“I often refer to neck straps as ‘an affordable gadget’ — they aren’t expensive, and you can fashion one however you like — but they’re very useful for all levels of rider,” says eventer Claire Deuten.
Neck straps aren’t just for use at home. They are permitted in all types of unaffiliated competitions, whereas martingales and breastplates are not always, particularly in dressage. At the higher levels of affiliated competition (FEI), neck straps must be attached to the saddle to prevent them slipping forwards to the horse’s head.
“Anyone who works for me or comes to ride out with me uses one and I always recommend them for clients I teach,” continues Claire. “For competing I used to use an old stirrup leather, which was known as my ‘lucky strap’, but for the past few years I’ve been using purposely designed ones. They are a bit thinner and can also be personalised, so I have a pink one with my name on it.”
Not only a practical help, neck straps can also be a great confidence giver.
“For me a neck strap is equivalent to my seat belt,” says coach and rider Stella
“It helps to keep hands in the right place and gives a sense of security that there is something to grab hold of if you feel off balance”
Freelance instructor Steph Lynn
Bunn. “I use a neck strap on all of my horses when jumping or hacking. I do have a couple of safer horses who don’t really need one, although no horse is 100% bomb proof so I have a habit of putting one on anyway.
“I can ride an entire dressage test holding on to a neck strap, though you do lose a bit of steering. I have an advanced medium dressage horse who can spin 180° in the blink of an eye, so the strap is there just in case he follows the spin through with something else.”
Sense of security
A neck strap is a valuable teaching aid for novice and young riders alike. As well as helping to keep the hands in the right place, it can help to reinforce the use of other aids.
Steph Lynn is a freelance instructor and likes a neck strap to be part of her own kit, and that of those she teaches.
“I always used a neck strap as a child and you never know when you might need it,” she says. “I teach a lot of Pony Club members and highly recommend that they ride with a neck strap. It helps to keep hands in the right place, provides something to hold onto to help with light seat and jumping position, and gives a sense of security that there is something to grab hold of if you feel off balance. I find that a neck strap makes you use more important aids than your hands, too.”
It is essential to make sure the neck strap fits both horse and rider. Much
of this is down to personal preference and the build of your horse’s shoulders, neck and wither.
“I fit a neck strap so it is loose enough to be able to tuck a finger into it in an emergency and still be able to ride and steer,” advises Stella. “It varies depending on how long the top of the horse’s shoulder is in front of the wither, but about four inches slack when measured just in front of the wither is appropriate.”
A good fit
Charlotte Fountain is a Society of Master Saddlers qualified saddler and
Master Saddle Fitter for Colne Saddlery in Gloucestershire.
“Make sure the strap isn’t so tight that it’s too far up the neck to reach, but also not so loose that it’s too far back. It needs to be in a good position for the rider to put a finger through without needing to move their hands,” she explains.
Charlotte adds that while many eventers make do with an old stirrup leather, racing yards she visits would never use one as they are too bulky.
“Work riders at racing yards always ride with a finger in the strap and they use thinner ones — usually around half an inch wide, whereas a stirrup leather is usually one inch. We make lots of custom straps, especially for younger riders on ponies where a thinner strap is easier for them to use.
“Some people use their martingale strap instead of a neck strap. These can work well, although something like a three- or five-point breastplate doesn’t work, as it sits too near the saddle.”
Whether you ride for pleasure, to compete or a mix of both, a neck strap is a useful piece of kit. Perhaps the question isn’t why you would use one, but why you wouldn’t?