48 ILLUSTRATED HORSE-BREAKING. 



pulling at the reins when the head is " up," are : 

 that, when it is carried in this position, the mouth- 

 piece falls on the corners of the mouth, pressure 

 against which, we find by experience, is not effective 

 in restraining the horse ; and that the horse 

 will not, as a rule, lower his head as long as the 

 rider continues to haul on the reins. As soon as 

 the head is brought down into its natural position, 

 the pressure of the mouth-piece will fall on the 

 bars. We may readily conceive, that far more 

 pain results from the superficial nerves of the bars 

 being squeezed between two hard bodies the 

 mouth-piece and the bone than that caused by 

 pressure on the loose and mobile tissue which forms 

 the corners of the mouth. If, in the case I have 

 imagined, the horse tries to get his head too low 

 down, our typical good rider will endeavour to 

 make the animal bring it into its proper position. 

 The relief to the mouth obtained by arching the 

 neck and bringing the chin close in to the chest, as 

 some hard-mouthed horses will do, is due to a 



