BITS AND BRIDLES. 



133 



and rough at the outside edges, which causes them to 

 cut the inside of the cheeks, and makes the animal 

 irritable, inclined to throw his head about, and pull. 

 In such cases, the outside edges of the upper grinders 

 require only filing, and when that is done, all irritable 

 symptoms will cease. 



Every day, after playing polo, we should carefully 



Fig. 53. — Mohawk bridle. 



examine our ponies' mouths, particularly the bars of 

 the mouth and the parts under the tongue, which by 

 rough handling are apt to be cut severely, with the 

 possible result of an abscess or diseased bone. We 

 should also look at the chin-groove, to see if it has been 

 hurt by the curb chain ; and at the corners of the lips, 

 which are apt to get cut by the snaffle. 



Having, on one occasion, cut the bars of a pony's 

 mouth under the tongue by the use of the bit shown 

 in Fig. 53, I substituted for it a Kerro bit (Fig. 30), 



