The Case of the Growing Necks

[Does’ Leap]

I have a pair of perch/belg. geldings who are going on 9. During the past 3 years we’ve had them, their necks have been growing?! We have gone to a thick pad to a thin synthetic pad to no pad. Now I am thinking bigger collars. Their body condition varies some from somewhat fleshy (7) after grazing good grass all summer to moderate (5) in spring. When we purchased them, they were also in decent body condition. How common is this in horses this age? Also, does anyone out there use a full sweeney collar? Any advice to determine if a horse needs said collar (I have one particularly thick-necked horse)?

Thanks.

George

[Anonymous]

Some of my horses do add a little wieght on thier necks as they have aged. I Try never to sell collars I like and keep extra on hand for this reason. Last week a friend asked me to come give him a hand with his old gelding who the we had worked the winter before. Breaking my own rule I had sold him a 24″ pulling collar because I wanted him to have something that fit the horse well as I liked the horse and didn’t want him to be used hard in a ill fitting collar. And at the time it fit very well. When I retured this year to give him a hand the horse had gained some wieght and the 24″ sat about 3″ behind the horses ears !! His neck was that much larger. We ened up putting a 27″ collar on him and that was tight. Some horses like people put wieght on in differn’t places.

As for full sweeny collars I may be using them for a differn’t reason than a farm collar would be fit. For a pulling horse I don’t want the collar to put ant pressure on the top of the horses shoulder and neck. In fact when the horse is working on a threshhold load I like the collar to tip ahead just a tiny bit. Any horse with a pronounced sweeny bone I like to see a ful sweeny colllar on. Quite offten thick neck and larger sweeny bone go hand and hand but not always. Hard to know what a horse needs untill you see the collar sit on him and working in it. Are there many teamsters in your area who may be willing to lend you some callars to try.

Tristan

[Does’ Leap]

Tristan:

Thanks for the reply. Not many teamsters in my area who have an abundance of collars to try out. I think I will size up 3 inches leaving room for a pad.

George

[Michael Colby]

I switched to adjustable collars in order to solve my horses’ seasonal neck changes. It gives you three inches to play with. The biggest drawback is that there is no clasp on the top, thus limiting your options for putting the collars on (the horse must be able/willing to stick its head through it). And they are also a bit more expensive.

[LStone]

yeah I got a couple growing neck cases as well. I can sweat them out in short order though. I use adjustable collars too Michael. To start them off with them I unbuckled one side at first and now they push through by themselves. When I am using the one size collar I can leave them fastened and they push through that now too. Just another desensitization I guess.

Larry

[PhilG]

mine is a growin too, she just turned 5 and her 28″ is snug, i think i will go with the adjustable kind also( if yours are growing at 9) , any recommendations on where to get a good collar on a budget ?
thanks

[Michael Colby]

I have yet to find a good collar cheap. But I get mine through Meader Supply (1-800-4HORSES). No complaints.

[jen judkins]

@Michael Colby 25835 wrote:

I have yet to find a good collar cheap. But I get mine through Meader Supply (1-800-4HORSES). No complaints.

Agreed. I get mine from them as well, the adjustable type and have been very happy with them.

I put a collar on Reno for the first time this winter a week ago as part of a demo for a small group of people…boy was I embarassed when the collar sat a half a foot from his shoulder…yikes!

[Joshua Kingsley]

My first pair of haflinger geldings came with some collars that fit reasonably well… they are 23 or 24 inch. When I sold Charlie this last month he was in a 19 or 20 with a full pad. Now the mares that I own all vary one is in a 19 with a pad and is always in that size even now that she is very heavy with foal and such the other two mares are cases of growing and shrinking necks. Misty is now in the 23 with a pad and my Sunny mare varies from a 20 with a pad to a 21 with out depending on if she works every day or not.
With the haflingers it is common to have them put weight on the crest of the neck due to the breed being some what prone to insulin resistance. At least with this breed if the neck is growing like that you really have to watch them for founder as that is a close following thing with haflingers.

Joshua

[Does’ Leap]

Here’s another piece of information that George didn’t mention about the collar fit. One reason we think we might need a full sweeney is that this spring I noticed a concentration of white hairs on both sides of his neck where the collar lies, up high, well above the point of draft. They aren’t a dramatic patch of white, but he has a smattering of white hairs on both sides like in a 2″square. We have never had any sores or skin changes in this area, but I am wondering if it could be a pressure point since I am seeing these changes in the hair. Anyone else ever seen or heard of that?

Kristan

[Does’ Leap]

Here’s another piece of information that George didn’t mention about the collar fit. One reason we think we might need a full sweeney is that this spring I noticed a concentration of white hairs on both sides of his neck where the collar lies, up high, well above the point of draft. They aren’t a dramatic patch of white, but he has a smattering of white hairs on both sides like in a 2″square. We have never had any sores or skin changes in this area, but I am wondering if it could be a pressure point since I am seeing these changes in the hair. Anyone else ever seen or heard of that?

Kristan

[jen judkins]

@Does’ Leap 25854 wrote:

They aren’t a dramatic patch of white, but he has a smattering of white hairs on both sides like in a 2″square. We have never had any sores or skin changes in this area, but I am wondering if it could be a pressure point since I am seeing these changes in the hair. Anyone else ever seen or heard of that?

See it all the time in saddle horses from poorly fitting saddles, usually around the withers, so I think you assertion is accurate. I switched Reno over to a full sweeney last summer…as he was really filling out in the neck.

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