THE SADDLE AND BRIDLE. 89 



fit it accurately to the horse's mouth. Every 

 rider should thoroughly understand not only 

 how to do this, but also how to place the saddle 

 correctly upon the horse. Upon these points 

 nearly all grooms require instruction, and very 

 few gentlemen, even, know how to arrange a 

 side-saddle so as to have it comfortable for both 

 horse and rider. Moreover, should the lady be 

 riding alone, as frequently happens in the coun- 

 try, and meet with any accident to saddle or 

 bridle, or need to have either adjusted, she 

 would, without knowledge on these subjects, be 

 completely helpless, whereas with it she could 

 promptly remedy the difficulty. 



In order to adjust the bit permanently to the 

 head-stall, so that afterwards the horse can al- 

 ways be properly bridled, one must proceed as 

 follows : having first fitted the head-stall to the 

 horse's head by means of the upper buckles, 

 the bit must then be adjusted, by means of the 

 lower ones, in such a manner that the canons 

 of the mouth-piece will rest on the bars of the 

 horse's mouth, exactly opposite the chin-groove. 

 (Fig. 16.) Should the tusks of the horse be irreg- 

 ularly placed, the mouth-piece must be adjusted 

 a little higher than the projecting tusks, so as 

 to just avoid touching them. The curb-chain 

 may now be hooked into the ring of the upper 



