Rural School Leaflet. 



1085 



forward and tender. That the mouth is tender and easily made sore 

 by poorly fitting bridles must not be forgotten, as many gentle horses 

 are rendered unsafe by spoiling the mouth with a cruel, ill-fitting 

 bridle. Hence much care must be taken in properly adjusting the 

 bridle. 



To enable the horse to control the load the driver must attach the 

 animal to the load in such a manner as to give the horse perfect control 

 over himself. This is best accomplished by attaching the shoulders 

 of the horse to the load; and to do this collars, hames, and traces have 

 been devised. Since the compression between the collar and shoulder 

 is great, much attention must be given these parts or they will become 

 sore also. To enable the horse to back the load, the breeching and 

 hold back have been devised. 



In adjusting the harness we must 

 remember that there are four places 

 likely to show abrasion and become 

 sore. Poorly fitting bridles and severe 

 bits cause sore mouths; poorly fitting 

 collars cause sore shoulders; poorly 

 fitting saddles, where there is much 

 backing, cause sore backs; and poorly 

 fitting cruppers cause sore tails. Sores 

 thus produced give the horse much 

 pain and are likely to become a source 

 of viciousness. A sore mouth often 

 provokes a horse to run away; sore 

 shoulders and a sore back often provoke balking; and a sore tail often 

 provokes kicking. 



Choosing and fitting the bridle. — In the choice of a bridle the bit is 

 first to be considered. Bits of many types have been devised to meet 

 the various and peculiar habits of the horse. For most animals a good- 

 sized bit cannot be improved upon. Care should be taken to see that 

 it is of the proper length to fit the animal's mouth. After the bit has 

 been decided upon, note the adjustment of the bridle. Sometimes the 

 head-stall is so short as to draw the bit upwards into the angles of the 

 mouth; it thus annoys the horse and may produce sore mouth. Then, 

 again, often the head-stall is too long, allowing the bit to drop. In 

 such a case the horse becomes unmindful of the driver's wish. After 

 the adjustment of the bridle, there come the blinds. There is much 

 discussion as to the wisdom of using blinds on bridles. Some horses 

 work best with them; others do better service without them. 



Fig. 38 



