36 RIDING RECOLLECTIONS. 



actuated by a common impulse, and it is to promote 

 or create this mutual understanding that so many re- . 

 markable conceits, generally painful, have been dignified 

 with the name of bridles. In the saddle-room of any 

 hunting-man may be found at least a dozen of these, 

 but you will probably learn on inquiry, that three or 

 four at most are all he keeps in use. It must be a stud 

 of strangely-varying mouths and tempers which, the 

 snaffle, gag, Pelham, and double-bridle are insufficient 

 to humour and control. 



As it seems from the oldest representations known of 

 men on horseback, to have been the earliest in use, we 

 will take the snaffle first. 



This bit, the invention of common-sense going 

 straight to its object, while lying easily on the tongue 

 and bars of a horse's mouth, and affording control 

 without pain, is perfection of its kind. It causes no 

 annoyance and consequently no alarm to the unbroken 

 colt, champing and churning freely at the new play- 

 thing between his jaws; on it the highly trained 

 charger bears pleasantly and lightly, to " change his 

 leg," "passage" or "shoulder in," at the slightest 

 inflection of a rider's hand; the hunter leans against it 

 for support in deep ground ; and the race-horse allows 

 it to hold him together at nearly full-speed without 



