148 BITS AND BITTING. 



out, jointed together in the middle, its whole pressure 

 would, with most horses, come to act on the tongue 

 exclusively, and, the base of the mouth remaining un- 

 touched, there would be therefore scarcely any action. 

 To avoid this inconvenience, it is usual to make each 

 half of the mouthpiece thicker towards the cheeks, 

 and tapering off finer to the joint connecting them, by 

 which means a portion of the pressure is transferred 

 from the tongue to the bars ; and, in addition to this, 

 they may be slightly curved, which has the same effect. 

 Let us suppose the length of such a snaffle to be just 

 sufficient to allow the cheek-rings to come clear of the 

 lips on either side, and we shall have nearly the whole 

 action of the instrument exerted in the same direction as 

 the pull on the reins, a matter of no small importance, 

 because it is the only true basis for an understanding 

 between the horse's mouth and the rider's hand. 



We may make our snaffle very thin in the centre, 

 and very thick on each side, but we scarcely gain any- 

 thing in power by so doing, because, although a greater 

 amount of action is transferred from the tongue to the 

 bars, the thick portion of the iron acting on the latter 

 produces very little impression ; this variety of form 

 might, however, prove useful with a slight-built horse 

 having a very thick tongue. 



Another plan is, to leave the thickness of the iron 

 unaltered, but increase the curvature; or to increase 

 the length of the whole snaffle, so that it projects an 

 inch or more at each side. Now either of these plans 

 will, no doubt, increase the painful action on the bars ; 

 the latter especially, much practised by Irish horse- 

 breakers, if exaggerated, will convert the snaffle into 

 an instrument of torture; but the result of this in- 



