THE TROTTIXG-nORSE OF AMERICA. 3137 



I lia\'c often observed, that, with other methods of holding 

 the reins, there was great difficulty in shifting the reach. 

 The driver tries to do it ; but, for an instant, lie haslet go of 

 the horse's head on one side altogether, and broken his 

 stride. When this is found to be the case, the dead pull all 

 the time is adopted ; and this spoils the freedom and elasticity 

 of the horse's stride, and chokes his wind. I do not intend 

 this to be taken as instruction for professional drivers. 

 Every driver has a way of his own ; and some of them have 

 very good ways, for, as I have taken occasion to state before, 

 they drive well. But what I have set down above may be 

 of service to gentlemen who drive their own horses, and to 

 those young men who, having as yet no settled method of 

 their own, may think it well enough to try that which I 

 have found to answer. Another word about bits. I 

 am opposed to the use of severe bits, and complicated things 

 of that sort. Some of the inventors of such things say 

 that I am prejudiced ; but I don't think I am. If a man 

 has a horse that cannot be driven with a bar-bit or a snaffle, 

 he may as well sell him, except it is a very exceptional 

 case. Where are these kinds of severe complicated bits most 

 in use ? Why, in England ; five hundred or a thousand of 

 them are used there to one that is used here : and where do 

 the horses trot the best ? These bits are mostly invented 

 by men who have had no practical experience whatever as 

 to w^hat sort of driving a fast trotter requires to keep his 

 gait square and bold, and induce him to do his best when it 

 is called for. When a horse has a good mouth, — and a bad 

 one is almost always the fault of bad breaking and driving, — 

 the easier the bit you use, the better he will act for you, and 

 the more speed he will show you. 



