SADDLING. 87 



drag poor horses' heads about, and force heavy bits into 

 their quiet, unresisting mouths, is enough to make a humane 

 heart feel grieved and angry together. Gentleness is, 

 however, a woman's attribute, and the kindness with which 

 most women usually regard animals is one of their most 

 loveable traits. 



When the headstall has been nicely fitted, take a glance 

 over it, and note that the forehead-band is loose enough, 

 and that the throat-lash will admit at least two of your 

 fingers between it and the skin. Fit the snaffle-rein next, 

 by the buckles, and see that it falls about half an inch below 

 the angle of the mouth. If you are in the habit of riding 

 with a curb, adjust it very carefully, observing the rule laid 

 down in my chapter on bitting, of resting the mouth-piece 

 on the bars of the mouth, just above the chin-groove. I 

 know it occasionally happens that some irregularity about 

 the teeth renders this a difficult thing to do, and where 

 such is the case the bit must of course be slightly moved, 

 but it ought to be placed only just as much above the 

 obstacle as will be necessary to clear it. You must next 

 hook the curb, taking the off side first, and leaving a link 

 in reserve. Then come to the near side, and leave it length 

 enough to afford two links — making sure also that it lies 

 quite flat on the chin-groove, and has not the smallest 

 tendency to rise upwards at the draw of the reins. 

 Ascertain above all things that the chain is sufficiCiitly 

 slack, and that it does not inconvenience the horse. A good 

 test will be for you to insert the first and second fingers of 

 your left hand between it and the animal's chin : slipping 



