As knowledge and understanding of the neck of the horse increases, it is becoming clear that neck pain can be an overlooked cause of discomfort, poor performance and undesirable behaviour. Neck pain can occur in a wide range of ages and breeds of horse, either secondary to an external event or as a more insidious process due to developmental or degenerative disease processes. However detection of pain can be difficult, there is often no lameness nor any external visible signs that flag the issue.

So what does neck pain look like? What should we as vets be looking out for and how can we increase our chances of identifying that these horses are in discomfort and might be helped? The orthopaedic and neurologic elements of the common causes of neck pain will be discussed, using real life case examples.  Clues from the clinical history and tips for clinical examination will be discussed, along with consideration of the next steps, including pointers on how to utilise radiography to best effect in clinical practice. New and progressive treatment options for certain neck conditions will also be demonstrated, keeping you at the cutting edge of developments in this fast progressing field that can improve equine welfare and offer good clinical satisfaction