TRAINING 95 



by the judicious use of the aids that the rider succeeds 

 in overcoming defective positions, but also by employ- 

 ing a bit more or less severe, by placing it more or less 

 low in the horse's mouth, and lastly by tightening or 

 loosening the curb chain. 



Thus, with a horse who pokes his nose, one should, 

 in order to bring the head into position, increase the 

 effectiveness of the arms of the lever, and consequently 

 use a bit with long cheeks and place it low down in the 

 mouth ; on the other hand, in the case of the horse 

 which carries his head low, or bends his neck too much, 

 the bit should be placed as high as possible in the 

 mouth, and it should have short cheeks. 



If, in the natural state, the position which the head 

 takes is determined by the position of the neck, when 

 the horse is bridled, it is the bit which, by its action 

 on the mouth, causes the head to take a position to 

 which the neck is forced to yield. It will consequently 

 depend upon the action of the hands, whether the neck 

 will be able to raise or lengthen itself, and to bend itself 

 to the right or left. 



Role and position of the neck. — The neck, being 

 the lever indispensable to movement, its position at 

 the point where it joins the head ought to be such, 

 that it maintains its position, and even a certain degree 

 of firmness from the withers to the centre, whilst at the 

 same time, being supple, and accepting without 

 resistance displacement backwards and sideways. 

 Its direction should be that which it would naturally 

 take Avhen the unmounted horse is standing still and 

 balanced on his legs. If one tries to raise the head 

 and neck too high, the play of the shoulders will 

 perhaps become more free, but, at the same time, the 

 loins and the hind quarters will be overwhelmed, and 



