120 BITS AND BITTING. 



sizes or patterns will not suffice for even 160 or 180 

 horses, much less for a whole regiment, although our 

 Cavalry Regulations lay it down as a rule that each 

 regiment should have " a few bits with different and 

 easy mouthpieces and curbs, &c." 



Draught-horses are, on the whole, less absurdly 

 bitted than those used for the saddle in this country ; 

 and the huge bits one sees sometimes in the mouths 

 of those devoted to purposes of show and pleasure, 

 although ridiculous enough from being so wholly out 

 of proportion, have their reins usually buckled into 

 the cheeks, so as to render the lever action of these 

 wonderful specimens of ironmongery perfectly nuga- 

 tory, which is so far fortunate. It is, moreover, 

 strange that it should be the fashion to "bear up" 

 carriage-horses to a state of balance which more nearly 

 approaches the equilibrium of the manege than any- 

 thing else, whereas draught requires the centre of 

 gravity to be carried forward, and the weight thrown 

 somewhat more on the fore legs. And having touched 

 on this point we may as well say a word or two on 

 the subject of the blinds attached to the bridles of 

 harness-horses. All of a sudden a movement seems to 

 have sprung up in favour of abolishing this appendage, 

 which is asserted to be both cruel and useless. Now, 

 in fact, it is neither the one nor the other, but, quite 

 on the contrary, it has a very decided use, and from 

 rendering the management of horses easier, it tends 

 \jo save them from the infliction of punishment. The 

 horse's hind quarters are the portion of his frame most 

 open to attack, and the animal's instinct renders it con- 

 sequently extremely jealous of every approach in this 

 direction, which it is prone to resent rashly by lashing 



