A GOOD MOUTH. 83 



"collected," as, for instance, a star-gazer which will not go up 

 to his bridle. When a horse is galloping through heavy 

 ground, the fact of his fore feet sinking more deeply into the 

 soil than the hind ones, will make him unduly heavy in 

 front. We should here try to more or less collect him. If, 

 at the same time, we were coming up to a high fence, to 

 safely negotiate which, the animal would require to have 

 his neck straight, so as to have full freedom of action with 

 his fore legs ; he should, at least for the last few strides, be 

 light in hand, instead of being collected. The expression, 

 "getting a horse's hind legs well under him," appears to be 

 used indiscriminately for collecting a horse, and for making 

 him light in hand. The distinction I have indicated is, 

 however, worthy of attention. 



It is evident that when breaking the horse, we should 

 teach him to collect himself according to the indications we 

 give him, and to an extent which may be out of all propor- 

 tion to the requirements under which he is receiving his 

 lesson, although similar to those of actual work. 



Requirements of a good mouth. — A horse may be said 

 to have a good mouth when he obeys the aids with prompt- 

 ness, accuracy, and precision, and when he carries himself 

 in the manner most suitable to the work he has got to do. 

 The combined weight of the body of the saddle horse and 

 of his rider must, therefore, be properly distributed between 

 the fore and hind legs. If the animal leans strongly on the 

 mouthpiece of the bridle, he will be "heavy in front." If, 

 on the contrary, he refuses to " go up to his bridle " (remains 

 " behind his bridle "), he will have an undue proportion of 



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