140 HOW TO JUDGE A HORSE, 



dimensions of mouthpiece and side branches, and 

 had attached to it on the upper part of the port a 

 short movable spoon of four inches long, and one and 

 one-fourth inches wide, fitting exactly the tongue- 

 channel. This bit has been tried by several 

 authorities in riding, especially on fractious horses, 

 and found to work admirably. Fig. 24. 



In fact all saddle and single carriage horses ought 

 to have that spoon attached to their bits, as they 

 like to play with their tongue at the same, thus 

 rendering them light in hand, and, therefore, at all 

 times under control, at the same time preventing 

 their putting the tongue over the bit. The upper 

 branches are bent outward, so as to fit any shape 

 of head. In cases, where it is desirable to allow 

 the horse a firmer leaning on the bit, than is 

 necessary for road-riding, as, for instance, for 

 hunting, a shorter bit may be used, which we may 

 call dumpy hit. The upper branch to be exactly of 

 the described dimension, viz : one and three-fourth 

 inches, but the lower branch, instead of being double 

 the length, only to be two and three-fourths to three 

 inches long. 



For small horses of 15 hands and less, and for 

 ponies, the dimensions of one and three-fourths and 

 three and one-half for the upper and lower branches 

 must be reduced to one and one-half inches for up- 



