88 EQUITATION AND HORSE TRAINING. 



supplings must be confined to the upper part of the neck. 

 The neck must always offer an elastic resistance, suitable 

 to its functions. If it were too flexible and too easily 

 moved it could neither react on the hind quarters nor 

 control the movements of the forehand. 



The kind of neck to select. — The importance of the 

 part played by the neck shows the importance that 

 should be attached to its good conformation. A rider 

 should always select a long and powerful neck, with the 

 head well set on. And it should be remembered that we 

 said that in training it is more difficult to raise than to 

 lower the head; a high neck branching firmly from a 

 sloping shoulder will diminish the difficulties of training 

 and will permit the rider to produce more easily a brilliant, 

 well set up horse. 



Different positions of the neck. — The neck ehould always preserve 

 its muscled pose and even have a certain amount of rigidity. Its 

 position should be the same as that assumed naturally when the horse 

 at liberty, is in high spirits, and standing still. 



If, contrary to this principle, the experiment is made of raising the 

 head and neck too high, the play of the shoulders may be freer, but, at 

 the same time, the loins and all parts of the hind quarters will be weighted 

 down and the haunches and hocks will be hampered in their action. 

 As a result, movements of the hind quarters will be constrained, 

 unequal, and jerky, and the gait will lose both speed and regularity. 



If the neck is too low, the hind quarters will be more at liberty but 

 will not (for that reason) fulfill their functions any better; for, since they 

 can not be brought up toward the center of gravity except by a special, 

 momentary, and forcible application of the lower aids, they will 

 promptly go back again and will be relieved of the weight which is their 

 proper share in an equal distribution of forces; weight, we repeat, that 

 tends to set the hind quarters; weight that, when the neck is held at a 

 suitable height, naturally and properly falls back from the shoulders 

 upon the haunches. If the hmd quarters are too free and do not carry 

 their proper share of weight their action is not favorable to smooth gaits. 



Therefore the position of the neck should be neither too high nor 

 too low. The neck must be able to shorten or lengthen itself according 

 as the face approaches or departs from the vertical. 



