390 POINTS. 



to the balance, the ease, and the activity of the cervical region. As 

 respects ils bulk, the author never remembers to have beheld an animal 

 •with a neck too thick; though, he is sorry to confess, he has witnessed 

 many of man's servitors with this part of the body most lamentably 

 attenuated. 



The second horse, in the foregoing illustration, has that form of neck 

 which is commonly seen upon what are called "well bred" and "good 

 horses." It is not incompatible with safety of pace; but it is deficient 

 in beauty of outline or grace of carriage ; and it cannot be fully equal to 

 all the uses of a well-formed neck. The chin may be lowered ; but it 

 will be at the expense of an effort, and by the unscrupulous employ- 

 ment of the bit or the rein. Such a resort must inflict acute torture, 

 especially as this particular kind of neck is rarely accompanied by 

 breadth of channel or width of space between the branches of the 

 lower jaw. 



The inability to lower the head with ease, removes the eye from the 

 ground, and exposes an animal to trip or to stumble, should any sudden 

 inequality be present in the road. The second form is, therefore, pref- 

 erable to the succeeding neck, which, though possessed of a more 

 graceful crest, yet in the protrusion of the nose indicates that strain upon 

 the muscular system by which progression is accomplished. No force, 

 save that of mechanism, can possibly bring and hold down such a head. 

 This defect exposes the animal to much suffering, renders it liable to 

 fall, makes it very heavy in the hand, and speedily ruins the moutl* 



The last horse exhibits the worst form of the group, — or it presents a 

 long neck with the head pointing downwai'd. Such an animal is never 

 safe in harness ; but is totally unsuited for the saddle. Creatures thus 

 formed are commonly good tempered, but sluggish. This position of 

 the head should to all, save only the totally inexperienced, characterize a 

 deficiency of nervous energy ; and likev/ise indicate the cost at which 

 pace is maintained, and declare the uncertainty of foot. The neck 

 should never be protruded, save during the exertion of the greatest 

 speed. An animal which habitually assumes this attitude, suggests 

 that an ordinary effort is felt to be a mighty tax upon its capabilities. 



The following illustration exhibits a peculiarity of form which the 

 author believes is confined to the heavier breed of draught horses. 

 Such a neck is alone compatible with slowness of pace. It is, how- 

 ever, falsely imagined to denote excessive strength. So far as thickness 

 is concerned, muscle must be present, or adipose tissue must abound; 

 but in length there is a deficiency which necessarily will limit the 

 amount of motor power. In justification of this opinion, may be 

 quoted a well-known fact, that the huge mountains of flesh which 



