186 BITS AND BITTING. 



are capable of being deflected in every direction ; and, 

 on the other hand, such as, having a hinge-joint, can 

 only be deflected backwards and forwards relatively 

 to the plane of the bit. In both cases the deflection 

 aff'ords in its own way a certain amount of tongue-free- 

 dom, like the port of an unjointed bit ; but here all 

 resemblance between the action of the two ceases ; for 

 whilst the pressure, and consequently the action, of the 

 latter is exerted in a direction parallel to the horse's 

 backbone, that of the former, taking a diagonal direc- 

 tion towards the centre, degenerates into a pincer-like 

 gripe, which is wholly unreliable with the snafile-joiut, 

 and more or less so with the hinge one. From the 

 riding-school point of view, jointed -bits are altogether 

 objectionable ; from the military one, they are scarcely 

 admissible, although the Prussian light cavalry adheres 

 to their use For road-riding and hunting purposes 

 the well-known Pelham is in great favoiu-; and as 

 there must be some ground for this, it is worth while 

 inquiring into. 



The great argument in favour of the Pelham is, that 

 the upper pair of reins give you the action of a snaffle — 

 which is, howcA^er, not quite correct, but let it pass — 

 whilst the lower pair aS'ord that of a curb-bit, as the 

 expression is. To this latter we must oppose a decided 

 negative, for two reasons : first, because the action that 

 results is that of a pincer, as shown above ; and, second- 

 ly, because if the dimensions of the upper and lower 

 cheeks of our unjointed bits are very irregular and gen- 

 erally much exaggerated, they are, in the case of the 

 Pelham, simply monstrous, so that the curb is invari- 

 ably dragged right up out of the chin-groove, and on to 

 the most sensitive part of the under jaw, the effects of 



