66 THE HORSE BOOK. 



jaw. If a smooth, close-linked supple chain is 

 used any good handler can make his horse at- 

 tend to business. The most severe apparatus 

 consists of a bar of iron about %-inch in thick- 

 ness and 8 inches long fitted with rings on both 

 ends, the one welded into the off -bit ring and 

 the other passed below the jaw through the ring 

 on the near side. To the ring on the near end 

 of the bar a strap is attached. The bit used 

 with the bar is a plain snaffle, and naturally the 

 leverage obtained is tremendous, but its use is 

 seldom necessary. Never pass the lead rein up 

 over the head. That is an indefensible practice 

 in handling stallions. By passing the line over 

 the head most of the leverage is destroyed and 

 gives little more purchase than if the rein is 

 snapped into the near ring of the bit only. 

 Most of the purchase, such as it is, comes on 

 the top of the head, and you can not do much 

 trying to control a stallion by his poll. Best of 

 all is to break the horse to behave himself so 

 that he may be led out to his work with an ordi- 

 nary cotton-rope halter. 



In the matter of allowing a two-year-old stal- 

 lion to cover mares, experience teaches that 

 from eight to ten will not interfere with his de- 

 velopment in any way if he is full-fed. Colts 

 of this age are usually sure. Only those which 

 are well developed and vigorous should be per- 

 mitted to serve. The two-year-old colt may be 

 allowed to cover about one mare every five 



