IMPROVING ACTION 



BITTING, SHOEING AND CONDI- 

 TIONING FOR ACTION I 



HORSES that have a tendency to show action 

 can undoubtedly have it very much increased by 

 the adoption of a proper system of training, but 

 there are many without this inclination which it 

 is hopeless to develop to a degree that makes it 

 worth while spending time and effort on them. 

 The influence which contributes most to the de- 

 velopment of action is bitting. This requires 

 knowledge, time and patience. Some horses' 

 mouths are much more easily made than others, 

 and there are some it is almost hopeless to try to 

 make anything like perfect. A good mouth is a 

 responsive one. Pressure from both reins should 

 cause the head to bend readily on the neck, while 

 that from either near or off-rein should cause 

 correspondingly prompt flexion. There are some 

 horses that it is almost impossible to bend, owing 

 to the defective anatomical relations of the head 

 and neck, and unless they naturally have a lot 



