THE LEVEE, THE BIT AXD CUKB, ETC. 



183 



and further, as we have ah'eady shown, on the tempera- 

 ment and general conformation of the animal ; finall}', 

 too, on the description of service to which it is to be 

 applied ; to which must, in some cases, be added the 

 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. 14 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 " 



-pig. 14. — Various mouthpieces. 



to the very sharpest it is advisable or can ever be 

 necessaiy to use — namely, to one in which the height 

 of the port is equal to its width, say IJ 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 



