112 



THE BRIDLE BITS. 



CHAPTER XV. 



BAR BITS, STRAIGHT AND CURVED, WITH LIVER- 

 POOL SLIDE. 



These bits, figures 45 and 46, with straight and curved 

 bars, are on the Liverpool slide principle and operate on 

 the jointless Pelham plan, but differ in construction. 

 The advantage claimed for this kind of bar bit, with the 

 slide, is that the bar, where the guards pass through the 

 end of it, plays or slips up and down with a fall of about 

 half an inch, which eases the mouth, when the reins are 



Fig. 45. 



-LIVEHPOOI- BIT. 



Fig-. 40.— LIVERPOOL SLIDE. 



slackened, by letting the bit slip down from the pressure 

 on the corners of the mouth. This improvement, by way 

 of relief, is reasonable, but the amount of ease it might 

 afford would depend on the horse's style and carriage. 

 If a horse carries a very high head the pull on the reins 

 would be downwards and the bar, instead of being drawn 

 upward, would be drawn downward; and unless there was 

 a check rein used there would be very little strain on the 

 reins in ordinary driving to affect the slide. 



T]ie check rein at A would draw the bit up on the 

 slide, while the rein at B would draw it up or down, 



