62 HARNESSING. 



The bridles generally in use for harness appear to 

 require little or no improvement. 



The Bit must be equally adapted to the horse's 

 mouth, &c, as for riding (page 38), except that -with 

 harness, while to all appearance using the same kind of 

 bit with a pair of horses, the leverage on the mouths 

 can be altered, by placing the billets or buckle-end of 

 the driving-reins high or low in the cheeks of each, 

 according to the animal's temper, his bearing on it, 

 &c. 



In placing the billets in the bit, it should be borne 

 in mind that the more use is made of the curb the more 

 will be taken out of the horse ; therefore, when a long 

 journey or severe work has to be done, animals should 

 be driven in snaffle, or the billets should be placed as 

 near as possible to the mouthpiece of the bit. 



Experience only can demonstrate the difference in the 

 wear and tear of the general physique, resulting from 

 a judicious arrangement or otherwise of the reins and 

 bit. 



Blinkers. — The question of "blinkers or no blinkers" 

 can best be answered by the observation, that if you 

 can find horses that may be depended upon to work 

 safely and steadily without them, they may be dis- 

 pensed with ; but as such animals are rare, blinkers are 

 likely to continue in general use. 



Placing crests or ornaments on blinkers, unless the 

 latter are light and well hollowed, and kept extended 

 in front by stiff blinker-straps, is a practice likely to 

 be injurious to the animals' eyes ; in fact, all blinkers, 

 unless light and well hollowed, are dangerous for the 

 eyes, and of course the increased weight of crests and 

 their fastenings aggravates the objection. 



