140 THE BRIDLE BITS. 



effective to a certain extent in proportion to its capaci- 

 ty — neither more nor less tlian it should be. 



The harmony in the effect of all we put on or do, in 

 training a young horse, should be in proportion — as are 

 the peculiar colors in a painting that make it effective 

 and i^leasing to the eye. The weight, strength and j^ower 

 of each part in a machine must harmonize to be effective 

 and durable. To please a man's feelings, as well as his 

 fancy, the tailor must make his whole suit to fit easy ; 

 and his hat and boots must be in character with the work 

 he does or dress-clothes he wears. To please and manage 

 the horse effectively everything on him must fit easy and 

 with uniform pressure — for a hole less or more on a 

 buckle, or the position of the saddle one inch more or 

 less (thus shifting the weight where he feels it is uncom- 

 fortable), makes a great difference in the ease with which 

 he does his work, all day. 



We know how hard, if not impossible, it is to have our 

 hat put on by another person to suit us. Yet the horse 

 has his headstall put on with his forelock and mane all 

 tangled up, as if anything, in any way, was good enough 

 for a horse. He is quite as difficult to suit in the fit of 

 his headstall and harness as we are in our clothes, and 

 the capacity of his bit must be taken into consideration 

 and suited to his disposition. But the tendency is to 

 overdo a good thing. In fashion and dress it is run to 

 excess, and certainly often to the detriment of the wearer, 

 who, for fashion's sake, changes the whole character and 

 grace of the person. The bustle of the present time is 

 enlarged beyond the license and to a degree amounting 

 to indelicacy, thus designedly drawing attention to a part 

 of the person that neither the observer nor observed would 

 ifko to name by any term by which the medical faculty 

 knows or conceals it. We know how desirable and pleas- 

 ing a little dash of scarlet or red is in a picture. On this 

 overdone principle we see brick houses, alre<idy all red. 



