Neck straps may prevent the development of responsive hands. There’s also the issue of the lower leg ‘safety position’, afforded to a rider who sits upright, with their lower leg beneath their seat. If a rider continually reaches for a neck strap, their centre of gravity is pushed forward with their head, so they don’t have the right balance to reduce risk factors for a fall or ride through a series of bucks, for example.

In an organised event that stipulates the use of some kind of strap around the neck, we advocate using a martingale or breastplate, as well as a riding safety aid such as the RS-tor.