CARRIAGE OF THE HEAD AND NECK. 



89 



in the cross-country horse, which requires to obtain a good 

 view of the ground and obstacles' in front of him, and to 

 have free shoulder action ; in other words, to be " light 

 in front," which implies that his hind legs are " well under 

 him." If, on the contrary, we want a horse to rein-back 

 (p. 129), we should make him lower his head and bring it 

 perpendicular, or nearly so, to the ground, in order to 

 put weight on his fore legs and lighten his hind ones. Those 



Fig. 60. — Star ruiiUor in Faber .Svilky. 



of my readers who have studied high-school riding, will 

 remember that, according to the teaching of Baucher, 

 who introduced many valuable improvements in military 

 equitation, the normal position of the head of the school 

 horse was perpendicular to the ground ; and that the 

 head was carried comparatively low. That admirable 

 exponent of !a haute ecole, James Fillis {Principes de 

 Dressage), having wisely rejected, even in the most 

 elaborate airs de manege, this artilicial style, teaches that 



