ON BRIDLING 317 



tion of the mouth and not letting them go back 

 has a very strong action, but not gradual. 



The straight cannon acts flat on the two bars. 

 The curved cannon acts on the outside edges of 

 the bars and gives a little freedom to the tongue, 

 but is more felt by the horse because it acts on 

 a smaller surface of the bars. For the same reason 

 the thin cannon has more action than the thick 

 one as it acts upon a smaller surface of the bars. 



The several curves of the cannon are, according 

 to Weyrother, to give freedom to the tongue so 

 that the tongue is not caught between the bars 

 and the bit with the object that the bit be felt 

 more, as he holds that the bars are more sensitive 

 than the tongue. He says that if the cavity of the 

 mouth is large enough to enable the tongue to 

 settle inside and not receive any pressure the 

 curb-bit acts with greater power. If the tongue 

 does not settle in the cavity but gets jammed 

 between the cannon and the bars, the action is 

 smaller. 



Mv master Francesco Savler remarked that the 

 gums are much less sensitive than the tongue and 



