86 



BRIDLES. 



country work is a very dangerous proceeding ; for if 

 the rider does not leave the reins loose when jumping, 

 the horse will be almost certain to hurt his mouth, and 

 consequently he will be afraid to face his bit, or will 

 become unmanageable from pain, either eventuality 

 being highly dangerous to horse and rider. 



ADJUSTMENT OF THE BRIDLE. 



The bit is placed in the horse's mouth, because there 



Fig. 50. Angle made by the Cheeks of a Curb, when the Reins 

 are taken up. 



is a vacant space (of about four inches in length) on 

 the gums of his lower jaw, between his back teeth and 

 tushes (canine teeth or eye teeth), as we may see in 

 Fig. 49. A mare has no tushes, or possesses them 

 in only a rudimentary form. The tushes of a horse 

 begin to appear through his gums when he is about 

 4 years old. If horses had not this convenient gap 



