3 o BITS AND BRIDLE GEAR. 



In order that the horse and rider may remain in mutual 

 touch with each other by means of the reins, it is necessary 

 that the action of the bit should diminish as little as possible 

 the sensibility of the animal's mouth. Hence we find that 

 when a horse which has a good mouth is properly bitted, there 

 will be an entire absence of rigidity in the muscles of his 

 head and neck, and he will be inclined to " play with his bit." 



MATERIALS FOR BITS. 

 Bits are made of the following materials : 



1. Hard forged steel, which is by far the best material for 

 the purpose, as it is much stronger than the other kinds, 

 although it costs somewhat more to manufacture. For bits, 

 it is tempered so that it will bend rather than break under 

 great strain. Many bits are made of mild steel, and are 

 consequently little better than those of wrought iron. They are 

 much easier to manufacture than bits made from hard steel. 



2. Forged wrought iron, which is fairly reliable ; but being 

 comparatively soft, it has a tendency to give way in ordinary 

 wear, in a manner hard forged steel would not do. There is 

 no objection to the snaffles of watering bridles being made of 

 forged wrought iron ; but forged steel is the only material that 

 is safe for bits required for serious work. Forged wrought 

 iron bits are forged from iron which has been hammered and 

 rolled into bars that are known in the trade as " best wrought 

 iron bars." An inferior class of bits, which would be pro- 

 perly described as " stamped wrought iron bits," are stamped, 

 not forged, out of wrought iron. 



3. Annealed cast iron. Unprincipled dealers not unfre- 

 quently try to palm off on unwary purchasers bits of this 

 material, which is a form of cast iron that has been improved 

 in tenacity and appearance by having been cooled slowly 

 after being heated. Many who refrain from the mendacious 

 and not uncommon practice of applying the terms "cast 



