102 FEEL OF THE MOUTH 



ideas of style. The effect of its use on the pony is pre- 

 cisely the reverse of that which is made by a bit on a 

 horse suppled by school methods or even bitted, and 

 which has been ridden on a light touch. The latter 

 brings down his head to the hand, with an arched neck, 

 easy mouth, and a give-and-take feel of the hand. The 

 pony, at the least intimation of the bit, long before the 

 rein is taut, jerks up his head, and must have a tough 

 mouth, or an exceptional fright, to make him take hold 

 of you. 



This habit of using a severe bit and of never allowing 

 the horse to take hold of it is partaken by the majority 

 of the riders of the world. All Orientals, without excep- 

 tion, bit a horse in .this fashion. I have at intervals seen 

 a man in the Orient with an easy bit, ])laying it with a 

 light touch — by touch I mean an actual feel of the 

 horse's mouth — and with a neat and easy hand ; but it is 

 very rare. A loose rein gives no useful touch. You can 

 start your horse with the spur or whip, or -svitli a word ; 

 you can stop him with the merest touch of the rein ; you 

 can guide him by the rein on his neck. But I deem it 

 impossible to communicate with a horse as intimately 

 with this loose rein as you can with the touch of a bit 

 and bridoon, well adjusted, and which you always hold so 

 as to have the least possible delicate feel of the horse's 

 mouth. Such a touch not only yields a sense of compan- 

 ionship between man and beast, but the horse unquestion- 

 ably likes the ])leasant conversation which thus goes on. 

 A man may talk ^vith his horse in words, and of these an 

 intelligent horse is very fond ; l)ut tliey will at least be 

 rare. If he is in tlie hal)it of talking to him through the 

 rein and l)it, liis hands will be always talking — and it is 

 this that ])leases and controls the true saddle - beast. 1 

 will discuss this point again wlien I como to speak of 



