108 THE BEIDLE BITS. 



were two — one, his makers, and the other, his feeders. Bnt 

 as it is very difficult to find horses and owners perfect, 

 we are not disposed to find fault. Our friend took the 

 trouble to j^ut on a new style of bit and nose band with 

 crest strap (fig. 43), in which he said liis horse went well, 

 and he thought it was an imj^rovement and peculiarly 

 adapted to his horse's mouth and temper. This kind of 

 torture is getting quite fashionable now, even on spans of 

 buggy horses, whether needed or not ; but of course horses 

 must be made to look alike by having the harness uniform 

 in appearance. But the advantage he claimed was contrary 

 to our ideas of bitting a buggy horse. His taking to it 



Fig. 43.— CREST STRAP BIT. 



'o 



was the deception. The horse knew" and loved his owner, 

 and consequently submitted cheerfully to anything he 

 did. We know what influence we have over every living 

 thing that loves us, and what power and control we have 

 over their wills, actions and destinies ; but, by submitting, 

 it is not always admitting that our influences are right 

 and used to the advantas^e of the influenced. And in 

 this connection our friend's horse was willing to submit 

 to anything, and he might as well, for the same reason 

 that the culprit submits to the hanging process. 



Such mutual knowledge and friendship as exists be- 

 tween a man and his horse should suggest the possibility 

 of diminishing instead of adding instruments of torture 



