206 MODERN FARRIER. 



is a little crossed, tends to make that bend perpendi- 

 cular, and as it should be, that is to say, to reduce 

 the nose and the forehead to be in a perpendicular 

 line with each other : it also serves, if put forwards, 

 as well as also crossed, to put the horse forwards, if 

 found necessary; which is often requisite, many 

 horses being apt, in this and other works, rather to 

 lose their ground backwards than otherwise, when 

 they should rather advance ; if the nose were drawn 

 in towards the breast beyond the perpendicular, it 

 would confine the motion of the shoulders, and have 

 other bad effects. All other bends, beside what are 

 above specified, are false. The outward rein, being 

 crossed, not in a forward sense, but rather a little 

 backwards, serves also to prevent the outward shoul- 

 der from getting too forwards, and making it approach 

 the inward one ; which facilitates the inward leg's 

 crossing over the outward one, Avhich is the motion 

 that so admirably supples the shoulders. Care must 

 be taken, that the inward leg pass over the outward 

 one, without touching it : this inward leg's crossing 

 over must be helped also by the inward rein, which 

 you must cross towards and over the outward rein 

 every time the outward leg comes to the ground, in 

 order to lift and help the inward leg over it : at any 

 other time, but just when the outward leg comes to 

 the ground, it would be wrong to cross the inward 

 rein, or to attempt to lift up the inward leg by it ; 

 nay, it would be demanding an absolute impossibi- 

 lity, and lugging about the reins and horse to no 

 purpose : because in this case, a very great jDart of 

 the horse's v/eight then resting upon that leg, would 

 render such an attempt not only fruitless, but also 

 prejudicial to the sensibility of the mouth, and proba- 

 bly obhge him to defend himself; and, moreover, it 

 would put the horse under a necessity of straddling 

 before, and also of leading with the wrong leg, 

 without being productive of any suppling motion 

 w^iatsoever. 



