New dip in neck....

Hey guys,
My horse, Sheena, has a new dip in her neck right in front of her withers. It has been there for a month or two and came on very suddenly. It dosn't seem to hurt her at all but she has never had it before...please tell me if it is normal or what it is!!!!!! The second to last pic is her last summer (look at the withers....much more normal, eh?)

Hmmm.... is she walking funny? I really have no idea. Your best bet is to call the vet out to take a look.

No she's acting completely normal.....

By dip you mean where her neck meets the withers right? Has she always had high withers?

Yes right where the neck meets wither. And yes she has always had high withers

Hmm, maybe its lack of neck muscle. Her rump is lacking a little muscle too, I noticed, in the pictures you posted. Maybe she just needs some improvement on her topline. The dip could have been gradually coming on, but you didn't realize it until you noticed how sharply her crest meets the point of the withers.

Ok, so I should work her more? And she is getting a little skinny, did you notice? She looks rly bad in the last pic so we will give her more food and muscle work...

I did notice she's skinny, yes. I think that if she isn't showing any signs of soreness or lameness... it is just a result of lack of muscle. Perhaps you might want to slowly increase her grain and put her on free-choice hay if possible. Make sure she is getting plenty of water, and that she is wormed as well. (Talk to your vet if you're unsure how much food she should be getting). For muscle work, see if you can put her on a riding schedule. Try to ride or work her 3-4 times a week. Lunging is a great exerciser, but of course it doesn't substitute for riding. Do lots of flat work with her -- tons of transitions, serpentines, bends, circles, etc. Think about engaging her hind end so that her back lifts. Work her long and low, and concentrate on her back end. As she engages her hind legs and moves underneath herself, her back will lift and her muscles will strengthen... slowly her topline will improve. It will take a while though, don't expect change right away. The key is consistency.

Hope this helps!

Has your horse pulled back while tied recently? Pulling back when tied below wither height can damage the muscle there, and cause a permanant dip. Horses that step on a rein and jerk up can do it, or if they catch their halter on something if they are loose. Just FYI. And yes, the dip would "suddenly" be there. The pull back doesn't have to look all the violent. It's just another good reason to tie them above wither height for that individual animal.

What is her current diet?? That looks to be lack of muscle