no 



BITS AND BITTING 



(c) The primitive wooden-snaftie with side-pieces. 



(d) The plain straight-snaffle of bronze. 



(e) The jointed snaffle, in bronze. 

 (/) The jointed snaffle, in iron. 



(g) The lever, or earliest form of curb-bit used by the 



Romans. 

 {/i) The snaffle and curb of the Merovingian and Carlovin- 



gian periods, made all in one, like a modern Pelham. 

 (/) Steel curbs and snaffles invented. 



HEADSTALL BRIDLE WITH PICKETING-REIN 



The impatient rider or driver perhaps remarks, 

 " I do not care a straw about the origin of bits ; 

 but simply want to know the most suitable bridle 

 for a puller, a bucker, a star-gazer, or a tender- 

 mouthed horse." We will come to that presently. 

 But let us first glance at a few of our modern bits. 



The strength of a double-bit is chiefly derived 

 from the height of the port and the length of the 

 cheeks. Throughout Europe of late years there 



