Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Tsavo
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 1527
Joined: Wed May 25, 2016 2:01 am

Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby Tsavo » Sat May 12, 2018 2:11 pm

People should NOT use this phrase!

It is highly ambiguous about whether they mean the area near the ears or the area along the mane.

When I first started encountering this phrase years ago I thought they were referring to the area near the ears but in fact they were not. Then I saw a reference about incorrect muscling when broken at third meaning that area behind the ears and not the mane. Most of the time, people mean the area along the mane as far as I can tell.

I'm just saying this phrase is not useful alone.

Hayburner
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 1132
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 12:48 am
Location: Western PA

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby Hayburner » Tue May 15, 2018 4:12 pm

Heck, I've never heard it before...

LeoApp
Herd Member
Posts: 399
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2015 12:41 pm
Location: Long Island, NY

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby LeoApp » Tue May 15, 2018 7:23 pm

My neither Sorry!

User avatar
Flight
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 1811
Joined: Sun Oct 11, 2015 11:39 pm
Location: Australia

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby Flight » Tue May 15, 2018 10:30 pm

I haven't heard it either.

piedmontfields
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 2735
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 4:41 pm
Location: E Tennessee USA

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby piedmontfields » Tue May 15, 2018 11:42 pm

Yeah, I don't know what you are referring to, except in the most general of ways (as in not the under side of the neck!).

Tsavo
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 1527
Joined: Wed May 25, 2016 2:01 am

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby Tsavo » Wed May 16, 2018 1:10 am

If someone told you something about the "top of a horse's neck", what part of the neck would you think they meant, along the mane or near the ears?

Tsavo
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 1527
Joined: Wed May 25, 2016 2:01 am

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby Tsavo » Wed May 16, 2018 1:16 am

Here is "top of the neck" used by the same author in two different ways in close proximity!

The base of the neck is to some extent lifted, as the horse lowers the top of the neck. The base of the neck is also higher relative to the top of the neck, which straightens, and telescopes the skeleton. The muscles let go slowly and gradually to lower the head (1).

The muscles along the top of the neck stretch out and let the neck telescope forward (2).


http://www.sustainabledressage.net/roll ... rtical.php

In the first case she is referring to the area behind the ears. In the second, she is referring to the area along the mane.

Tell me I am imagining this!

User avatar
StraightForward
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 3102
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2015 3:04 pm
Location: Idaho

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby StraightForward » Wed May 16, 2018 2:00 am

Tsavo wrote:If someone told you something about the "top of a horse's neck", what part of the neck would you think they meant, along the mane or near the ears?


If we're talking about a horse person who would know normal conformation terminology, I would think of the muscling below the mane, as it's common to refer to an "underneck" when a horse has, or develops an unfortunate unfortunate muscle imbalances. I would expect someone to refer to the poll, crest and throatlatch to mean the more cranial portion of the neck.
Keep calm and canter on.

Tsavo
Bringing Life to the DDBB
Posts: 1527
Joined: Wed May 25, 2016 2:01 am

Re: Pet peeve - "the top of the neck"

Postby Tsavo » Wed May 16, 2018 2:17 am

StraightForward wrote:
Tsavo wrote:If someone told you something about the "top of a horse's neck", what part of the neck would you think they meant, along the mane or near the ears?


If we're talking about a horse person who would know normal conformation terminology, I would think of the muscling below the mane, as it's common to refer to an "underneck" when a horse has, or develops an unfortunate unfortunate muscle imbalances. I would expect someone to refer to the poll, crest and throatlatch to mean the more cranial portion of the neck.


I am suggesting you would be let down in those expectations as seen in the example I posted above. And nobody is going to be able to question that author's horse person credentials.


Return to “The Observation Lounge/ Cookbook Forum even Hot Topics”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 44 guests