NECK. 155 



the reins, he would be all but useless to us in saddle and for 

 ordinary harness work. With reference to this subject, I 

 may mention that I once undertook to saddle and get ridden 

 an old entire zebra {equus zebra^ Fig. 257), whose feet were 

 becoming gradually deformed, on account _ of its not 

 permitting them to be pared down from time to time. 

 In less than an hour after I had turned it into the ring of 

 Frank Fillis's circus, which was then in Calcutta, I had its 

 feet rasped down to a proper level, and had it saddled and 

 bridled for the first time in its life. It was then ridden by 

 Steve Margarett (a brilliant Australian rough-rider) and by 

 my wife. This was certainly the first occasion a lady ever 

 rode this variety of zebra, which has the reputation all over the 

 world of being unrideable. Although I was able to quickly 

 teach it to carry its unwonted burden quietly, I made far less 

 progress in giving it a '* mouth," during the two days I had it 

 in hand, than I would have done in half an hour with any wild 

 Colonial horse caught for the first time on a '' run ; " the 

 reason being that the zebra^s neck was so stiff and strong, 

 that I was unable to bend it in any direction. I soon taught 

 it to do what I wanted in the circus , but when I rode it out- 

 side, it took me wherever it liked. In fact, I had not the 

 slightest power to either stop or guide it Some horses, like 

 this striped ass, though not to the same extent, are very stiff 

 in the neck, a fact which may be owing to an obstinate 

 temper, bad breaking in, or to a thick and rigid condition of 

 the muscles and joints of the part. This natural want of 

 flexibility may be overcome to a great extent by judicious 

 '* bending." As it militates against the ready turning and 

 easy regulation of the paces of an animal, it should be 

 regarded as a grave defect of conformation in the saddle- 

 horse and light trapper. It may, however, be overlooked in 

 the heavy cart-horse, whose normal pace being a walk, will 

 not require to be as ** supple" (to use a riding school term) as 

 an animal that has to go at a faster pace, and whose line of 

 progression, instead of being along a more or less straight 

 road, may be across an intricate country, or in conformance 



