THE EXTERNAL CONFORMATION OF THE HORSE. 
323 
ways appears as if suffering from a sore throat; or if the angle is 
still more obtuse, it will resemble the attitude assumed in chronic 
poll evil; on the other hand if the angle be considerably more 
acute than a right angle the act of respiration may be interfered 
with during extreme exertion. A head that is not nicely set 
upon the neck deteriorates the value of a high class horse con¬ 
siderably, although it may not interfere with the merits of the 
animal. 
It is somewhat difficult to say, in a general way, how the head 
of one class of horses should differ from that of another; all for 
instance*are entitled to the fine ears, the broad forehead, the 
straight nose, etc., etc.; at the same time a coarse ear, which 
might be tolerated in a draft horse, would more than likely be 
taken exception to in the thoroughbred; then heads are coarse or 
fine in all breeds without apparently affecting the merits of the 
animal, but the same cannot be said of the neck which is the 
region of the horse next to be described. 
The neck (Plate I, 5) may be regarded as the part extending 
from the poll to the withers along its upper border, and from the 
throat to a point a little above the anterior extremity of the 
breast bone on the lower border. In all breeds of horses we meet 
with different kinds of necks that are named from their supposed 
resemblance to certain objects, but the kinds we oftenest meet 
with are the bull neck, the peacock neck, the ewe neck, the 
straight neck and the clean cut neck. 
In selecting a horse the form of neck must be taken into con¬ 
sideration, and the kind of work the animal is to be engaged in, 
before we pronounce upon it as being good or bad in form. 
The bull neck is the one which is strikingly short and thick; 
it is usually credited with being indicative of strength and conse¬ 
quently is best adapted for draft horses, but even in them it is 
doubtful if it is advisable to encourage the breeding of horses with 
short necks, for innumerable draft horses have been brought 
under our noses with moderately long necks and we have yet to 
learn that they were deficient in strength when it came to the 
starting of a load. The bull necked horse would certainly not 
