HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP. 89 



on the bit. The immediate consequence is raw, and after- 

 wards, callous lips. It is better to fix the straps from the 

 cross and pillars to the cavecon, instead of to the bit. Clean- 

 ing him on the bit, that is on an easy colt's mouthing- piece, is 

 an admirable practice. The reins should be on the sides of 

 the stalls, and the horse's head towards the manger : — when 

 dressed on the pillar-straps, there is danger of capping his 

 houghs by kicking against the manger. The brush acts as 

 the urging indication : the head of the stall as well as the 

 reins, inform the horse that he is not to advance ; the result 

 is that he collects himself to the bit. Here then the common 

 theory would make him to be taken up, and collected, not 

 between the hands and legs, not " dans la main et dans les 

 talons," but " dans the sides of the stall, et dans the horse- 

 brush :" that is, it would make him to be actively and mecha- 

 nically lifted by two passive and stationary pieces of timber, 

 and supported by the hog's bristles of the horse-brush. It 

 is precisely the same as putting him between the pillars in 



