48 THE HORSE OWNER's 



into the horse's mouth and top of the tongue. He is now 

 checked up and the bit kept snug in his mouth ; your reins 

 are not to be buckled to this check-bit, but another is used 

 for driving. Get a common snaffle-bit. This is made fast 

 to the check-pieces of the bridle with a couple of small, half- 

 inch straps, five inches long, with buckle and loop attached, 

 letting it hang in the mouth, one inch below the check 

 bit ; to this attach your reins. You now have a driving 

 as well as a check bit. If the horse attempts to work his 

 tongue over the bit, the piece of leather so attached will 

 prevent him at once. Should he (as is seldom the case) 

 carry his tongue under the bit and out of the mouth, to the 

 holes drilled through the bit, attach a piece of large wire, 

 passing the ends through ; let the center drop one-half 

 inch below, same as a wide wire staple. When you put 

 the bit in his mouth, pull his tongue through the loop, 

 seeing that the space is large enough for it to sit easy. 

 These plans will soon break a horse of this bad habit. 



A RUNAWAY, BOLTING, OR PLUNGING 

 HORSE. 



This is a very dangerous vice, one accompanied with a 

 great amount of danger to limb and life. If the horse, 

 when making an effort to run, becomes very wild and 

 desperate, and in bolting woiitd jump off some bridge or 

 precipice, it is highly necessary to have some means of 

 controlling him, and to bring him to a sudden stop. To 

 accomplish this, use the cord with sm'all loop placed 

 around the under jaw of the horse ; the other end is 

 carried over his neck, brought back, and passed through 

 . the small loop attached to the under jaw, and thence 



