196 BITS AND BITTING. 



iiig his nose or shrinking back. If this be the case 

 you are all right ; but if the lower bar moves through 

 a much greater angle than the above — sav fifteen to 

 twenty degrees — before the horse yields perceptibly, 

 then your curb will be probably too long. 



We say j^robably, because you may, after shortening 

 and leng-thening the curb once or twice, find that the 

 horse will avoid the bit in the first case or remain in- 

 sensilDle to it in the second — in fact, you discover that 

 the mouthpiece is unsuited ; therefore, in adjusting the 

 length of the curb, you must take care to avoid draw- 

 ing your conclusions too hastity. When you come to 

 a hitch of this kind, lift up the horse's upper lip gently 

 with your left thumb so as to get a view of the in- 

 terior of his mouth, whilst you draw the reins with 

 the right hand so as to see how the mouthjDiece lies, 

 whether too much or too little of its pressure falls on 

 the tongue — in fixct, whether the mouthpiece is not in 

 fault ; Ijut this requires some experience, and perhaps 

 the help of an instrument, of which we shall have to 

 speak in the next chapter. 



And now a word as to the bridoon. This is, in the 

 first place, an aid in the early stages of training to 

 facilitate the transition from the snafBe to the curbed 

 bit; and in proportion as the young horse becomes 

 familiar with the latter it is gradually laid aside, and 

 then becomes a " second string to the bow" in case of 

 any accident happening to the bit or its reins. Nothing- 

 is, however, commoner than to see amongst ourselves 

 these its well-understood uses completely reversed, and 

 j)eople riding about our streets and parks holding on 

 like grim death by the bridoon-reins, whilst those 

 belonging to the bit dangle about the horse's neck, to 



