90 THEORY OF MOUTHING, 



circling, this power of altering the position of the centre of 

 gravity is very useful to the horse for preserving his stability 

 by neutralising the effect of the centrifugal force generated 

 by the more or less circular motion. In this way, the head 

 and neck act as the balancing pole of the body. The applica- 

 tion of this principle is illustrated by curved portions of 

 railway lines, in which the outer rail is made higher than 

 the inner one, so as to tilt the centre of gravity of the train 

 inwards, as well as to offer a more effectual resistance to 

 the tendency the carriage might have of being carried off 

 the line. The track of circuses and even of running 

 grounds are banked up in a similar manner. The circus 

 rider, when standing on a pad or on the horse's back as the 

 animal canters round the track of the arena, leans inwards, 

 proportionately to the speed, with the object in question, 

 and so does his horse, as we may see if we observe the 

 animal closely. We may therefore conclude, apart from the 

 obvious reason that the horse should look where he is 

 going, that his head and neck should be in the direction in 

 which he is moving, whether he is turning, circling, or 

 travelling in a straight line. In fact, the animal, from the 

 muzzle to the end of the tail, should be bent more or less 

 into the form of the curve upon which he is travelling. 

 Although his body from the withers to the root of the tail 

 is capable of but little flexion, the head and the neck have a 

 large amount of lateral " play." The degree to which the 

 horse should bend himself will of course be proportionate 

 to the sharpness of the turn. 



From the remarks just made, we may see the necessity, 

 in the turn, of the hind-quarters following the movements 



