188 BITS AND BITTING. 



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 

 afraid of, because it affords little or nothing to hold on 

 by. If your judgment were only equal to your pluck, 

 you would soon become independent of these hybrid 

 instruments that pretend to combine the action of 

 snaffle and bit, and, like most other makeshifts, answer 

 neither purpose perfectly and reliably. 



We do not, however, mean to say that a Pelham 

 should never be used ; as a matter of fancy, fashion, 

 or old habit, many a good rider will cling to it ; but 

 then its dimensions should be as carefully adjusted 

 to those of the horse's mouth, and, moreover, to the 

 other peculiarities of the individual animal's build and 

 temper, as we have shown to be necessary with the 

 imjointed bit : and this brings us to another form of 

 jointed bit — that used, as 'already mentioned, in the 

 Prussian light cavalry (No. 8, fig. 14), 



These are very similar to a straight-barred bit with 

 moderate tongue-freedom, but jwith a snaffle-joint at 

 the top of the port ; and their dimensions being in 

 accordance with the size and character of the horses, 

 their is nothing iiTCgular in their action, especially a,s 

 care is taken to put them into the proper part of the 

 horse's mouth. We consider the unjointed bit to be a 

 better and more perfect instrument, especially in the 

 hands of a good rider ; but we must not overlook the 

 fact, that the time of service in the Prussian cavalry 

 being restricted to three years, and, in consequence of 

 the system of recruiting, a considerable number ofj 

 men being brought into the ranks who have no pre 



