THE SADDLE AND BRIDLE, 85 



this is used, the curb instantly rousing their 

 temper. Others, again, do best with a combi- 

 nation of the curb and the snaffle, and althouo-h 

 the former may seldom require to be used, its 

 mere presence in the mouth of the horse will 

 prove a sufficient check to prevent him from 

 running away. Most horses, however, especially 

 those ridden by ladies, require a light use of the 

 curb to bring them to their best gait. 



The bit used and recommended by many, but 

 not by the author, is a 

 curb so arranged as to 

 form a combination bit in 

 one piece. It consists of 

 a curb (Fig. 14), to each 

 side of which, at the an- 

 gles of the horse's mouth, 

 a ring is attached, and to 



, ^ , , . ' £ 1. Fiff- l-i- — The Combination Bit. 



each of these rnigs is last- "^ 



^ a, a, rings fastened on each side 



c^-naA n voin TViitJ criVP«! fl to small bur, at right angles to and 



eneCl a lem. iniS glVeb ci directed backward of the cheek; 



-, . /. • -\ b,b, rings for the curb-reins, 



second pan^ or rems and 



converts the curb into a kind of snaffle. In 

 this way it answers the purpose of both curb 

 and snaffle without crowding the horse's mouth 

 with two separate bits. 



If two bits should be used — the curb and 

 bridoon — instead of the above combination bit, 

 the bridoon should be placed in the horse's 



