324 



MISCELLANEOUS HABITS. 



Fig. 222. — Manner of putting the 

 tongue out. 



piece of iron renders it impossible for the horse to get the 

 tongue over the bit. The simplest and best way of prevent- 

 ing this is to have the smith make a mouth-piece, as repre- 

 sented in the cut below, 

 which is seen to be bent up, 

 and comes so high in the 

 mouth that the horse cannot 

 get the tongue over ; this 

 works perfectly, and is not 

 inconvenient to drive with. 

 It should be bent up at 

 least 21 to 3 inches, come 

 well out to the cheek-pieces, 

 and be filed smooth to pre- 

 vent cutting or chafing the 

 mouth. The tongue is some- 

 times, but not often, put out under the bit. For such cases 

 the following treatment will work well : — 



Get three medium-sized bullets, and hammer them 

 out to about an inch 

 and a half in length. 

 Drill a small hole 

 through the end of 

 each. Tie one to the 

 center of the bit by a 

 little piece of wire 

 through the joint. 

 Attach the others to 

 the bit about an inch 

 from the center (one on each side), so as to play loosely. 

 (See cuts.) 



When this bit is in the mouth, these extra arrange- 

 ments will so disconcert the horse that in his struggles to 

 get them out of the way, he will forget to put the tongue out. 



Fig. 223. 



