138 THE BRIDLE BITS. 



CHAPTERXXI. 

 SOME UNNECESSARY TORTURES. 



' Many of tlie bits illustrated in this volume are ingeni- 

 ous contrivances, while they are certainly rendered un- 

 necessary tortures by spoiling the mouth in the primary 

 stages of the training. Some of them are calculated to 

 break the colt's spirit, owing to their effect being through 

 brute force, thus crushing and subduing the spirit of the 

 pupil instead of taming it with his consent. The sub- 

 dued horse, for instance, is tied fast by his halter and 

 cannot get away, but if loosed he gallops off and is men- 

 tally and physically free ; while the tamed horse is left 

 untied and to gallop and sport about the field with his 

 head and tail in the air, he is physically but not mentally 

 free, for when his keeper whistles or calls him he as 

 cheerfully comes back as he went. This is taming vs. 

 subduing. 



An exhibition of physical vs. moral power over the horse 

 is simply evidence of the difference between art and sci- 

 ence in his management. We prefer the latter ; for the 

 time taken to effect the former depends upon the extent 

 of tlie power that the law will allow to be applied. The 

 expert in any art or science is manifest in the ease and 

 apparent unconcern with which he performs or accom- 

 plishes his object ; and this is seen in taming, riding or 

 driving the horse, as in everything else. But in subduing 

 a horse with such means as are adopted now-a-days is 

 certainly outside of justice if inside the law. In all our 

 familiarity with the horse we never saAV any that required 

 them or could be better managed with them than with 

 instruments of less complications and severity. Of course 



