198 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



horse, with a dead mouth, he will require his bearing- 

 rein to be very tight, and vice versa. When time will 

 not admit of taking it shorter by the buckle, giving it a 

 twist before putting it on the bearing hook adds to its 

 severity. 



To attempt giving directions for curbing coach horses 

 is vain, for that must depend on the state of each horse's 

 mouth and of his temper and disposition. The bits 

 invented within late years, with different loop-holes in 

 them for the billets of the reins to be placed in, are most 

 useful and beneficial, as they admit of your easing or 

 punishing your horse's mouth as may be necessary, and 

 in a manner which cannot be effected by the curb-chain 

 alone. Horses with hard, dead mouths, require the 

 nicest management to render them tolerable to drive ; 

 and nothing contributes more to keep their mouths in 

 this state than curbing them up tightly, particularly 

 should it be accompanied by a heavy hand upon them. 

 We all know the effect of a severe curb-chain on a 

 horse, if held tightly for any length of time, when riding 

 him. In a race it's power is greatest, because, the short 

 time in which it is run, does not admit of these ill effects; 

 but he who rides a horse for an hour on the road or over 

 a country, leaning hard on the curb-rein, will soon find 

 his horse's mouth become hard and dead. To ride or 

 drive horses with pleasure, and to advantage, their 

 mouths must be played with and humoured ; and no 

 doubt, they themselves equally find the benefit of a light 

 finger. Coachmen sometimes put the curb-chain into 

 the mouth, across the tongue, instead of under the lip, as 



