NOTES OX i:(,)riTATl()N H<| 



The Kind of Neck to Select. The importance of tlir part 

 played by tlie neck, shows the importance that hIiouM he 

 attached to its good conformation. A ri(h'r should always 

 select a long and powerful neck with the liead well set <m. 

 And it should be remembered that we said that in traininji 

 it is more difficult to raise than to lower the head; a hinh 

 neck branching firmly from a sloping shoulder, will dimininh 

 the difficulties of training and will permit the rider to pro- 

 duce more easily a brilliant, well set up horse. 



Different Positions of the Neck. "The neck sliould 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 an«l 

 all parts of the hind quarters will be weighted down, and 

 the haunches and hocks will be hampered in their action. 

 As a result, movememts of the hind quarters will he con- 

 strained, unequal and jerky and the gait will lose both 

 speed and regularity. 



If the neck is too low, the hind quarters will he more 

 at liberty but will not (for that reason) fulfill their functions 

 any better; for, since they cannot be brought up toward the 

 center of gravity except by a special, momentary and forci- 

 ble application of the lower aids, they will promptly g^^ 

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

 proper share in an equal distributi(m 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 hind 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 



