THE CAVESSON, SNAFFLE, ETC. 155 



a facility for adjusting its action, or altogether putting 

 an end to it, without altering either buckle or strap, or 

 even halting the horse if in motion. 



As a general rule, when a horse has been once pro- 

 perly broken in and bitted, it should not require any 

 contrivances of the sort : its use being continued after 

 a certain period is an evidence of something being 

 wrong. Sometimes this is incapable of remedy, being 

 a consequence of some peculiarity in the animal's 

 build, and then there is no help for it ; but a good 

 running-rein, possessing the qualities mentioned above, 

 affords very frequently most valuable aid in the first 

 handling, and will, if judiciously used, save the rider 

 a great deal of trouble, the horse an equal quantity of 

 ill usage, and, finally, simplify all questions of bits and 

 bitting in a wonderful manner. 



The best of all these contrivances hitherto invented 

 is perhaps that known under the name of Seeger's run- 

 ning-reins (Schleif-Zugel), being perfectly simple, safe, 

 and applicable to all styles of riding. M. Seeger, the 

 justly celebrated riding-master at Berlin, and undoubt- 

 edly at the head of his profession in Europe, first brought 

 it forward. It consists of three distinct pieces, the chin- 

 strap, the running-rein, and the martingal. The chin- 

 strap consists of a leather curb furnished at each end 

 with a small buckle and strap, by means of which it is 

 attached to the cheek-rings of the snaffle or bridoon, the 

 entire length, including the buckles, to be 6 inches ; 

 these latter, when covered with leather, just wide 

 enough to admit a strap 4^ inches wide, and 2| long, 

 projecting over the buckle, behind which it is sewed on 

 to the body of the curb. This curb carries a rounded 

 strap in rear, supporting an ivory ring which may have 



