neck sweating and yearling training

Question
I was just wondering what the deal about neck sweating was? This totally has me confused.
Thanks so much!

And also, what is a good age to begin to train yearlings for halter, and what can you do? I'm still working on just leading right now, but what kinds of things can you do after that? I'm also rather interested in showmanship.

Answer
Dear Mary,
You don't say what breed of horse you have but, in a nutshell- some horses tend to be thick through the throatlatch or heavy in the neck- making their necks seem disproportionately short. A slimmer neck will also help to create the illusion of a longer neck on a short necked horse. Neck sweats come in a variety of shapes and sizes- some are designed to be worn only while exercising while others are meant to be worn 24/7. The neck sweat tends to "slim  out " the area with varying degrees of success.
Even weanlings can be trained to lead, to stand up and to place their feet- so as far as the standing up for halter- that can start very young. I am NOT a fan of getting yearlings going on the lunge or beefing them up as this leads to an absolute orchestra of developmental (and frequently irreversible) problems.
One of the very easiest way to learn is by watching how the pro's do it either by attending shows, by accessing on line video of nationals classes for your breed or by renting  videos (often available at larger tack shops).
Hope this helps,
S. Evans