GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 109 



that a horse's mouth is hard or soft and when one 

 comes to inquire into the best mode of attaining the 

 last-named quality, which is, of course, that most de- 

 sired, we find that the exceedingly sensitive gums of 

 the horse are supposed to become soft in consequence 

 of being subjected to a greater or less amount of press- 

 ure from a piece of hard iron ; an idea in itself perfectly 

 monstrous and contrary to fact, inasmuch as long-con- 

 tinued pressure, if not too violent in degree, has the 

 tendency to produce a gradual thickening of the mem- 

 branes in fact, renders the mouth callous, or the con- 

 trary of soft ; and if so violent in degree as to destroy 

 the textures, and actually involve mechanical softness, 

 the reverse of what is understood by a soft mouth is 

 nearly always produced. 



Here, then, most people who have to do with horses 

 start in life with an incorrect mode of expression, which 

 leads directly to a misconception of an important ques- 

 tion, and this in its turn to absurd and mischievous 

 methods of practice, and all this from a want of know- 

 ledge or a proper application of the simplest mechan- 

 ical principles. It requires, indeed, only the most 

 superficial inspection of a horse or other animal, either 

 standing or in motion, to perceive that we have to do 

 with a series of much more beautiful and perfect me- 

 chanical contrivances than human ingenuity is capable 

 of devising for the elasticity and power of animal 

 muscle and tendon is altogether beyond our imitation ; 

 and this, applied to a most wonderful combination of 

 levers, constitutes the mechanism of animal power. A 

 little further consideration cannot fail to show us that 

 the means we employ to direct the power of a horse, 

 and make it subservient to our wants and wishes, are 



