THE NECK. 19 



Such thinness or leanness may prove admirably suited for flexibility, 

 and be the means of the horse reining-in and riding pleasantly ; 

 but for every purpose of power, for endurance, for guarantee of 

 bodily strength, a broad and muscular neck is a point to be sought 

 after and valued. 



But the neck may be long, and yet its carriage may be such as 

 shall counteract any increase of leverage. In the horse " with a 

 rainbow neck," although his neck may be by actual admeasure- 

 ment equally long with that of another horse who carries his neck 

 quite straight, yet will the leverage of the head be altogether 

 different. It will be seen, on a review of the skeleton, that the 

 lever, in a well-carried head, does not run in a line parallel with 

 the neck, but extends diametrically across the curve of it ; proving 

 that the neck, though long, does not in point of fact — so long at 

 least as it be well-carried — add any thing to the leverage. 



There are circumstances, however, under which increased length 

 with straightness in the neck, however inelegant it may be, appears 

 even to be productive of advantage. It seems to me that the prepon- 

 derance of the head in the forward direction must have some influ- 

 ence in facilitating progression at the time that the horse is flinging 

 himself forward in his gallop with all his might ; and in order that 

 it may have this effect the more, he projects his head while gallop- 

 ping to the utmost, and inclines it to the ground. I know very 

 well other ends are answered by this straightening of the neck and 

 protrusion and declination of the head, but this nowise militates 

 against the operation of the gravity of these parts in that sort of 

 swinging or leaping action of which the gallop consists. This ac- 

 counts for length in neck being considered desirable in a racer, and 

 for his always making the most of it in running, carrying his head 

 in that thrust-forward position that his muzzle is the foremost part : 

 hence the report that a horse has won his race " by a nose " be- 

 comes literally correct. This demonstration of the utility of a long 

 and straight neck reminds us once more that, in regarding the con- 

 formation of horses, it is our duty ever to bear in mind of what 

 breed or kind they are, and for what purpose they are by nature or 

 art intended. In a hackney, nothing is more unpleasant than a 

 long neck so straightened that the rider in vain tries to rein the 



