MODETIN FARRIER. 19T 



and not in the least suppled. When the breaking- 

 tackle is left off, and they are mounted for the road, 

 having more food and rest, they frequently plunge, 

 and a second breaking becomes necessary. Then, 

 as few gentlemen can manage their own horses,, 

 they are put into the hands of grooms, from whom 

 they learn a variety of bad habits. 



If on the other hand, j^our horse carries his head 

 (or rather his nose) too high, he generally makes 

 some amends by moving his shoulders liglstly, and 

 going safely. Attend to the cause of tins fault. 

 Some horses have their necks set so low on their 

 slioulders, that they bend first down, then upwards, 

 like a stag's. Some have the upper line of their 

 necks, from their ears to their withers, too short. 

 A head of this sort cannot possibly bend inwards 

 and form an arch, because the vertebrse (or neck 

 bones) are too short to admit of flexure ; for in long 

 and short necked horses the number of the vertebree 

 is the same. In some the jaw is so thick, that it 

 meets the neck, and the head by this means has not 

 room to bend. On the other hand, some have the 

 underline from the jaw to the breast so short, that 

 the neck cannot rise. 



In all these cases you may gain a little by a nice 

 hand with an easy bit ; but no curb, martingale, or 

 other forcible method, will teach a horse to carry his 

 head or neck in a posture which nature has made 

 uneasy to him. By trying to pull in his nose far- 

 ther than he can bear, you will add a bad habit to 

 nature. You could not indeed contrive a more 

 effectual method to make him continually toss his 

 nose up, and throw his foam over you. 



The rule already given to ride a loose-necked 

 horse, will be a proper one for all light-mouthed 

 horses ; one caution being added, which is, always 

 to search whether his saddle or girths may not in 

 some way pinch him ; and whether the bit may not 

 hurt his lips by being too high in his mouth : be- 



