viz.] THE BIT. 79 



of the bit, and to relieve his bars from that office, by 

 protruding his tongue, and thus forcing the thick part of 

 it within the porte. If the porte is made wide so as to 

 allow space for the tongue, the corners formed by the 

 porte and the cannons (those parts between the porte and 

 the branches) are apt to work injuriously against the 

 bars, and also to slip quite off them, which makes the 

 action of such bits uncertain, though they are very 

 effective and severe if the mouthpiece is no wider than 

 the horse's mouth. But the mouthpiece which gives 

 complete room for the tongue, and yet brings the 

 cannons into perfect contact with the bars, is that of 

 which M. de Solleysell claims the invention, and which 

 he describes as " a pas d'asne, with the porte gained from 

 the thickness of the heels." Let the mouthpiece be in 

 width four inches inside, this I believe, will be sufficient 

 for most horses, since the part of a horse's mouth where 

 the bit should work is narrowest, and the cheeks should 

 consequently be set outward. Let the entrance to the 

 porte, between the heels be three-fourths of an inch, 



