THE LEVER, THE BIT AND CURB, ETC. 183 



but a painful action exerted in a wrong or even uncer- 

 tain direction is certainly a mistake. 



If we had to address ourselves exclusively to really 

 good and intelligent riders, we would say what they 

 are themselves perfectly aware of, With your steady 

 seat, and light hand resulting therefrom, you have more 

 perfect command over your horses with a well-con- 

 structed snaffle than with any Pelham. Your very 

 conviction of this sets you at ease, and that is a great 

 point. If you want a little help with a young horse, 

 here and there, or with one whose neck is turned up- 

 side down or the like, you have only to apply the run- 

 ning-rein or a martingal ; or, if you prefer it, the 

 same qualities of seat, hand, and heart will enable you 

 to put a well-proportioned light unjointed bit into 

 your horse's mouth. But the great majority of riders 

 do not belong to the class we have described above, and 

 having neither the steady seat nor the confidence that 

 arises from it, therefore seek after something more 

 powerful than the common snaffle. Indeed, as a gen- 

 eral rule, one finds the bitting severe and the tackle 

 complicated in the inverse proportion of the qualities 

 of the rider; and as to a light hand it is altogether out 

 of the question with people who "stick" on their 

 horses after the fashion of a monkey mounted on a 

 poodle, and derive their chief support from the reins. 

 To such persons we would say, improve your seat in 

 the first place : until you learn to keep it with ease, 

 altogether independent of the reins, you will be always 

 looking out for something Pelhamy that will afford 

 you a gripe to hold on by ; just the very reason you 

 can't master your horses with a snaffle, and, at a pinch, 

 something with the action of a curb-bit, which you are 



