SPECIAL FORMS OF EESTIVENESS. 307 



touch the breast ; in both it escapes altogether the 

 action of the mouth-piece ; but the difference of position 

 assumed points to corresponding difference of conforma- 

 tion. The undermost figure shows that the way in 

 which the head is set on the neck, and the build of 

 both, offer no obstacle in themselves ; and the pre- 

 sumption is, therefore, that there is something weak or 

 defective in the loins, hind quarters, or legs. On the 

 other hand, in the upper figure there is evidence that 

 such obstacles do exist in the head and neck, the hind 

 quarters being, perhaps, very powerful. In a word, 

 horses with short necks, narrow jaws, and ill set-on 

 heads, or, again, with long unstable necks, endeavour 

 to escape the pain occasioned by injudicious attempts 

 to force these into a certain shape by running away in 

 the position of the upper figure ; whilst those with well- 

 formed heads and necks will, if their hind quarters be 

 weak, usually adopt that of the lower one the getting 

 down of the head alone bringing the weight well on to 

 the fore legs and consequently easing the weak part. 

 It sometimes happens that there are defects at both 

 ends, and want of judgment or temper in the rider will 

 easily drive such a poor weak creature to despair ; for 

 those who have had much experience with young horses 

 must have remarked that the powerful and well-built 

 ones seldom take to bolting unless there is something 

 wrong with their tempers. 



The first impulse of the great majority of riders whose 

 horses bolt is to put a sharper bit into their mouths, 

 or at least to shorten the curb, and perhaps rig the 

 horse out with some sort of martingale or running-reins 

 that gives them a good hold of the head, to secure 

 which more effectually they plant their feet firmly in 



