Flipping the crest

[Carol_O]

The pendulum swings.

I was taught flipping the crest indicated the horse was stretching over their top line. I have noticed it is easier to do on some horses, more subtle in others, usually corresponding to relaxation and position of the neck.

Now I am seeing new information indication it is not normal and indicates damage to the nuchal ligament.

So far I have not seen anything saying one shouldn’t do it, that it causes discomfort, just that it indicates damage.

Thoughts?

I always thought being able to flip the crest was good. Now I should feel bad about it?

[Lunabear1988]

I saw a post on Facebook about that the other day and had the same thoughts of you. The post didn’t link anything concrete (that I saw) and no studies were linked with it. So curious what COTH knows about this!

[Horsecrazy3]

Relaxation, poll position, correct neck position relative to hind end engagement and contact affect the ability of the crest flipping when asking for lateral flexion of the poll. It is a good thing. At least that is what I was taught by several old school European BNT. I’ve seen my own horses flip their crests when eating when they laterally flex their polls.

[Lunabear1988]

This was a post I saw. I’m very skeptical of Dr. Declue though.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Fm8GMAQtJ/

[Bogey2]

I have owned two horses that flipped the crest on their own very easily…the only thing they had in common was they both had been gelded late and had crusty necks. One was GP and the other was low level PRE. I can flip the crest on a few horses over the years but those two were the easiest. Neither one of mine had neck issues.

[ThreeFigs]

Oh, it’s always something, isn’t it?

Crest flipping has been done by horses themselves forever since they descended from the trees.

I see no harm in the practice. Something I also learned from old BNTs, old cavalry guys, classically based trainers.

[colorfan]

I haven’t thought about crest flipping for a while, since I was able to ride a horse that knew more than how to just do groundwork…what I remember is JS teaching is that it had to do with being correctly bend and relaxed. So excited when I experienced it with my mare. Likely there was more to it but it was a good thing.