SADDLES AND SORE BACKS. 203 



collar and the neck should be a space which will admit no more than the 

 flat of the fingers, and this space should be found from top to bottom. It 

 will often be observed that the required space exists above, but from the 

 lower third of the neck the space between it and the inside of the collar 

 is so great that it may admit a cricket ball ; in other words, there is too 

 much play. Nothing is more certain than this will produce injury if the 

 animal be called upon to perform heavy and continuous draught work. 

 The secret in collar fitting is to stop all lateral movenie7it bettueen the 

 collar ajid the side of the neck if shoulders are to be kept sound ; on the 

 other hand, pinching the side of the neck is to be avoided. To test the 

 amount of lateral movement in the collar, take hold of the points with 

 one hand and steady the collar on the shoulders ; with the other hand 

 take hold of the throat, then work the collar from side to side, but still 

 pressing it against the shoulders. The amount of play can now be seen. 

 If above the shoulder joint it amounts to as much as two inches, the 

 collar is too wide ; in some cases it is as much as four or five inches. 



The next thing to be considered is the depth of the collar. From the 

 foregoing it is clear that a collar too deep is a positive evil, one not deep 

 enough may be a source of very serious trouble. To test the depth of 

 a collar, insert the flat of the hand between the throat of the collar and 

 the horse's neck ; if deep enough the hand and wrist should find ready 

 admission ; anything more than this is unnecessary. 



There is one more point to be examined before our fitting is complete, 

 and that is in connection with the after-wale. When a collar has been 

 in wear for some time the body becomes flatter ; this flattening allows 

 the edge of the after-wale in heavy draught to overlap the body of the 

 collar and cut the skin of the shoulder. We shall again draw attention 

 to this condition, and at present only note that on pressing the collar 

 closely against the shoulders a careful examination of the after-wale 

 should be made just above the point of the shoulder to ascertain that it 

 is nowhere near the skin. 



To summarise these points in fitting a collar — See Essential 



1. that it does not rest on the neck in front of the withers ; 



2. that it bears evenly over the shoulder blades ; 



3. that the space between the inside of the body of the collar and 



the neck will admit the fingers and nothing more ; 



4. that the depth between the throat and the neck will admit hand 



and wrist. 



New collars. — A new collar is worse than a new saddle, because it is New 

 only by a certain amount of wear that we can expect this contrivance of collars. 



