PULL ON HEADSTALL. 201 



" chucking up the head," and not going up to the bit, 

 so seriously interfere with the comfort and safety of the 

 rider, and with the usefulness of the animal, that it 

 behoves every owner to avoid, by attending to the 

 proper bitting of his horses, the possibility of their 

 contracting these vices. 



The downward pull on the headstall (3) should be 

 obviated as much as it is in our power to do, because, 

 by pulling the poll down, it interferes with the free 

 action of the horse's head and neck, and, consequently, 

 with the movements of his limbs. In practice, we find 

 that the employment of a curb has a tendency to make 

 a horse gallop "round," in other words to bend his 

 knees too much. Although this may be disregarded, 

 when perfect control, rather than speed, is demanded, 

 it has served to virtually banish curb bits from racing 

 stables. 



In the Chifney bit (see Fig. 29), the downward pull 

 on the headstall is altogether done away with. To 

 obviate this undesirable pull. Lord Thurlow invented 

 a bit (see Fig. 25), which differs from the ordinary one 

 by having the eyes of the upper arms of the cheeks 

 made oval-shaped to the rear. 



If we examine the under surface of the lower jaw, we 



