CARRIAGE OF THE HEAD, 69 



with this subject, I may mention that the use of the curb 

 bit has been found to injuriously affect the action of race- 

 horses by, as a rule, making them carry their heads low 

 down, and consequently to gallop *' round." Trainers of 

 match-trotters employ an ''over-draw check-rein" (bearing 

 rein) to improve the action of horses which do not carry 

 their heads high enough, and which, on that account, have 

 too low action. The bearing rein is, in many cases, neces- 

 sary for the attainment of that '' extravagant" action which 

 is greatly sought for among fashionable carriage horses : a 

 fact which accounts for its retention in the stables of the 

 rich, despite the adverse criticism that is being constantly 

 directed against its use. As a rough guide to the direction 

 of the neck (supposing it to be straight or only slightly 

 bent) when the line of the face is at an angle of about 45"^ 

 to the ground, I may say that, at ordinary paces, the upper 

 part of the nostril should not be lower, or only slightly so, 

 than the top of the withers. In the fast gallop, the horse 

 will carry his head lower down than this, so as to bring his 

 weight forward, and thus to increase his speed (p. 54). 

 This difference in the carriage of the head will be evident, 

 if we compare Figs. 114 to 122 with Figs. 133 to 148. A 

 fairly high carriage of the head, with the face at the angle , 

 just mentioned, is a most desirable point in the cross-country 

 horse, who requires to obtain a good view of the ground or 

 obstacles in front of him, and to have free shoulder action ; 

 in other words, to be ''light in front," which implies that his 

 hind legs are well "under him." If, on the contrary, we 

 want a horse to rein back (p. 99), we should make him 

 lower his head and bring it perpendicular, or nearly so, to 

 the ground, in order to put weight on his fore legs and 

 lighten his hind ones. Those of my readers who have 

 studied high school riding, will remember that, according to 

 the teaching of Baucher, who introduced many valuable 

 improvements in military equitation, the normal position of 

 the head of the school horse was perpendicular to the 

 ground ; and that the head was carried comparatively low. 



