Many people believe the vertebrae in a horses’ neck lie below the mane, but they are actually much lower: they sit just above the trachea, or airway of the horse. Make sure your horse is in proper alignment through chiropractic treatments and deep tissue massage since any deviation in the neck will affect breathing. If the first two vertebrae ( the axis and the atlas) are out of alignment, you will not see a beautiful top line, since these vertebrae help shape the neck.
Always be careful when asking a horse to ” go on the bit.” Forcing the neck into a frame with your hands will create many problems down the road. Allowing the horse to find a natural balance through the whole body, rather than focusing on the shape of the neck in isolation, will save you and your horse much pain and frustration.