1 84 HEAD AND NECK. 



whom I have discussed this subject — Mr. Tom Brown and 

 Mr, Edwin Martin, among others — have expressed to me 

 their behef in the practical utihty of this proceeding. The 

 lesson to be learned, from a conformation point of view, from 

 the foregoing remarks, is that the faster a horse is required to 

 ofo, the liofhter should be his neck. 



As regards the contour of the neck, I may state that, 

 according to its shape, it is designated high-crested (or 

 convex, see Pis. 30 and 31), straight {sec Pis. 28 and 35), 

 or ewe-necked, concave {see Pi. 23). The contour varies 

 a good deal according to the manner the animal holds his 

 head, and should be judged by the form it assumes when 

 the horse stands in an ordinary manner at attention, with the 

 line of its face at an angle of about 45° to the ground. PI. 30 

 shows us a horse with, for a saddle nag and for the substance 

 of his fore legs, a very over-loaded neck. If we compare 

 that photograph with PI. 31, we shall see that the convexity 

 of the latter is not, as in the former, obtained at the cost 

 of undue weight in the neck. We may also note the dif- 

 ference, as regards beauty, in the respective curves of the line 

 of the neck in these photographs. The height of the crest 

 in PL 30 is due chiefly to an excessive amount of fat in the 

 crest above the suspensory ligament of the head and neck. 

 The only objection I see to a high crest in a galloper, is the 

 possibility of its putting extra weight on the fore legs. 



The fact of a horse being ewe-necked seems to be of no 

 detriment to his speed. It might, however, affect his handi- 

 ness, on account of depriving, to some extent, his rider or 

 driver, as the case may be, of command over him ; and by 

 causing his head to be brought into a direction which might 

 prevent him seeing clearly where he was going. On page 80 



