[Jenje!]

I guess the idea that a horse might be born with a nice enough neck to win is foreign to some...

[Rumonek]

I suppose... I guess I figure if I have to sweat the neck, it isn't HALTER quality and will be shown elsewhere. Sometimes I have to luv ya

[BlingRacer]

Originally Posted by Jenje!

Yeahhh, but Sandra, Rumonek and I are not talking about stock horses. Well, Sandra may have snuck in some experience with a stock horse when I wasn't paying attention... but I doubt it! We know our own!

Ah, well if you aren't talking stock horses, then that's probably different. I have literally almost zero knowledge about anything other than stock horses...I just know that even the greatest of the great at the apha world shows are in neck sweats. Even if the horse has got a great neck naturally, they figure it can't hurt to make it even thinner. (At least that's been my own personal experience.) It's a par for the course thing...no matter how nice your stock horse's neck is, if you halter, you almost always sweat the neck.

[noreins]

Not gonna start a breed war yet you majorly diss stock horses. (and the people who show them) Anyway...

Most QH's and Paints I have been around that were being shown halter didn't need their necks sweated but I don't see a reason to NOT show a horse simply because their neck isn't naturally pretty. If everything else is good, a little help isn't all that bad.

[Rumonek]

Originally Posted by noreins

Not gonna start a breed war yet you majorly diss stock horses. (and the people who show them) Anyway...

Most QH's and Paints I have been around that were being shown halter didn't need their necks sweated but I don't see a reason to NOT show a horse simply because their neck isn't naturally pretty. If everything else is good, a little help isn't all that bad.

That's funny, because I specificaly wrote
ALL BREEDS that are specialized... I believe an Arabian would be classified as part of ALL BREEDS Can't exactly see where I dissed the people that show them either.
Top that off I wrote that I've shown stock horses, and I OWN stock horses... think what you will.

[BlingRacer]

Originally Posted by noreins

Not gonna start a breed war yet you majorly diss stock horses. (and the people who show them) Anyway...

Most QH's and Paints I have been around that were being shown halter didn't need their necks sweated but I don't see a reason to NOT show a horse simply because their neck isn't naturally pretty. If everything else is good, a little help isn't all that bad.

I agree with that.

Xander is REALLY nice and has a nice neck....by anyone other than a halter judge, he would be considered to have a "thin" neck, but the extremity of thinness that's desired in the halter world means I'd need to sweat him to be competitive (and mind you, he's out of a reserve world champion halter stud and the grandson of a horse that sired 12 world and reserve world champions).

Not sure if you're first paragraph was aimed at me or Rumonek....If it's aimed at me, that doesn't even make sense since I show stock horses and would never diss them or my fellow competitors.

[Ittakes2totango]

I say no. Way to much work. But I was at a big western show and was looking around the facility. Everyone had neck sweats. Oh and not to mention I am a hunter not a stock/western what ever person.

[Sandra-A1]

Yes I have shown Quarter Horses...granted it was not recently...but I have shown halter and WP...plus know people who have and still do. Actually some of you would probably be surprised at all of the different breeds I have ridden, worked with and shown....

A horse is a horse... and while they might be different breeds... the fact that correct conditioning effects horse's conformation is the same. The stock horse breeds are no different than any other breed when it comes to this.
When it comes to being competitive on the "big time" show circute, you have to have a really good neck to start with and no amount of sweating is going to help if you don't. My way of thinking is if you have to sweat the neck to be competitive in halter....then find a new event to show in.

In my opinion....using a neck sweat to make a horse's throatlatch appear slimmer results in a change is cosmetic only, and more importantly.....it won't last long.
I was once told by an old trainer (who also was not into neck sweating) that the results only lasted until the horse took a drink...
I personally believe there is nothing long term about sweating a neck...and that is why I prefer to spend my time working the horse in a way that will improve it's conformation over all and long term. Yes, it looks like you are doing something when you grease the neck up, apply the sweat and work the horse till you see a good lather....but I just don't buy into it.

[noreins]

Originally Posted by Rumonek

I suppose... I guess I figure if I have to sweat the neck, it isn't HALTER quality and will be shown elsewhere. Sometimes I have to luv ya

This is what I took as an insult. Those of us who own only stock horses can be smart enough to figure out when a horse just isn't halter quality. I know that is hard to imagine but it's true. A horse with a slightly thick neck shouldn't be excluded from showing halter, especially when it is an easy fix. That's all I have to say. Just had to stand up for my QHs and Paints.

[Jenje!]

Originally Posted by Sandra-A1

In my opinion....using a neck sweat to make a horse's throatlatch appear slimmer results in a change is cosmetic only, and more importantly.....it won't last long. I was once told by an old trainer (who also was not into neck sweating) that the results only lasted until the horse took a drink...
I personally believe there is nothing long term about sweating a neck...and that is why I prefer to spend my time working the horse in a way that will improve it's conformation over all and long term. Yes, it looks like you are doing something when you grease the neck up, apply the sweat and work the horse till you see a good lather....but I just don't buy into it.

Pfft, Sandra... that's why you do BOTH! I've actually already started to notice a difference in the shape of Allure's neck since she started under saddle, but she's been ridden very sporadically... I'd say between 15-20 rides so far, with five being casual trail rides and a few bareback putterings.

I don't think Rumonek was insulting stock horses at all with that statement. It applies to ALL breeds. If your horse really doesn't suit the standard for halter... do something else! My Arabs lack the flatter croup (even though a lot of that is posture and training), and head/neck that win in the halter arena, and I'm fine with that (actually I prefer it). I could probably sweat like mad for a year and have a better shot at it, but why? I'd rather aim them at performance events (which is what they're suited for anyway, and what I wanted when I bred my filly) and SHIH if I get the urge. They have slightly shorter necks- Allure's more than Page's for some reason, and I expect she'll outgrow that- but they have a nice shape in general- longer over the poll. Both of them are a little thick in the throatlatch, and do not have extreme heads (also my preference).

...okay, rambling aside: a horse is what it is, and will always have a better chance at winning in a class it's naturally suited for. We clip and sweat to create illusions, and that's all well and good... but it can only do so much. I could probably sweat like crazy and "easy fix" my way into success at a local level... doesn't mean the horse is "halter quality" the way most think of it.