THE LEVER, THE BIT AND CURB, ETC. 179 



peculiar style of. riding or driving of the individual that 

 uses it ; for nothing can be more certain than that the 

 best bitting in the world is wholly useless, nay, some- 

 times dangerous, in bad, that is to say, heavy or rude 

 hands. 



Fig. 13 shows a succession of mouthpieces of the 

 forms now generally adopted, beginning with the light- 

 est that is to say, the one whose pressure is almost 

 entirely exercised on the tongue, and proceeding on- 

 wards with an increase of port or " tongue-freedom" 



Fig. 13. Various mouthpieces. 



to the very sharpest it is advisable or can ever be 

 necessary to use namely, to one in which the height 

 of the port is equal to its width, say 1J- inches ; and 

 beyond this it is impossible to go, because the slightest 

 pull on the rein would, by altering the position of 

 the lever, bring the top of the port to press against 

 the palate, causing more or less pain, and therefore 

 inducing the horse to bore with its head in the contrary 

 direction to the pressure that is, away from the rider's 

 hand. 



