Fitting the Bridle 325 



been determined which bit best serves the purpose, 

 no further change should be made. The horse 

 does not take kindly to a change of bits after be- 

 coming used to a certain kind. Such a change makes 

 him uncomfortable and may interfere with his effi- 

 ciency, particularly his action. 



Head-stall. — The cheek-straps should be properly 

 adjusted so as to keep the bit in its proper place, 

 that is, right across the bars of the mouth just above 

 the tushes. This is very important. If the cheek- 

 straps are too long, the bit drops so that the rings 

 are drawn into the mouth. The horse becomes 

 careless and unmindful of our wish. On the other 

 hand, if they are too short, the bit is drawn upward 

 into the angles of the mouth and becomes a con- 

 stant source of annoyance to the animal and may 

 produce a sore mouth. It is a common mistake 

 among horsemen to draw the bit up into the corners 

 of the mouth, so as to cause slight wrinkles. The 

 brow-band and throat-latch should be carefully ob- 

 served, to see that they are neither too loose nor 

 too tight, as the former arrangement is very annoying 

 to the horse and the latter rather painful, either 

 of which may provoke certain kinds of vice or whims 

 (p. 249). 



Blinds. — There is diversity of opinion as to the 

 advisability of using blinds on the bridle, particularly 

 during the training period. Some horsemen con- 

 tend that blinds are of benefit, while others are just 



