318 ON BRIDLING 



that the pressure of the bit on the tongue would 

 be felt more by the horse than the pressure on the 

 bars. This is a reason for believing that greater 

 freedom must be given to the tongue so that it 

 should not feel pressure and pain and that the 

 horse should feel less pain from the action of the 

 curb-bit which is in condradiction to wliat is sta- 

 ted by Weyrother. 



To enable the tongue to fit in the arc of the 

 cannon which is intended for it, if the plane of 

 the arc is in the same plane with that of the cheeks 

 of the curb-bit, (as curb-bits are usually made) 

 the lower cheeks should be made to come very 

 much back to form a right angle with the bars. 

 To allow this it would be necessary to have the 

 curb very long in which case no lever action could 

 be made and therefore no curb-bit would exist. 

 This inconvenience may be remedied in the follo- 

 wing way. In order that the arc of the cannon 

 should give the tongue all possible freedom without 

 the curb being very long, the plane of the arc of 

 the cannon should make half a right angle with 

 the plane of the cheeks. Then if the lower cheeks 



