92 THE AMERICAN HORSEWOMAN. 



mouth, which he will generally open a little in 

 order to admit it. As soon as this has been ac- 

 complished, the upper part of the head-stall 

 must be promptly raised so as to bring its upper 

 strap or band across the forehead, while at the 

 same time the horse's ears are passed between 

 the forehead band and the strap which forms 

 the upper part of the head-stall. 



During these manoeuvres, the curb - chain 

 must be passed under the chin, so as to rest 

 against the chin-groove, and care be taken to 

 keep the fingers of the left hand out of the 

 horse's mouth while the mouth-piece is being 

 put in. The bit and head-stall having been 

 properly arranged, the whole should be secured 

 by buckling the throat-strap loosely on the left 

 side. If this strap be buckled tightly, the horse 

 will be unable to bend his neck properly. The 

 mouth-piece of the bit should be washed, dried, 

 and then rubbed with fresh olive or cotton-seed 

 oil, each time after use, to preserve it from rust. 



Neither a rusted bit nor a very cold one 

 should ever be put into a horse's mouth. In 

 frosty winter weather the bit should always be 

 warmed. Many a valuable horse has had his 

 mouth seriously injured by having an icy cold 

 mouth-piece put into it, to say nothing of the 

 pain and suffering it must invariably occasion. 



