107 



smooth in the mouthpiece, as then it is not so Ukely to injure the 

 young horse's jaws or lips as a sharp twisted one. The plain smooth 

 snaffle differs from the breaking bit in being smaller in the mouth- 

 piece, and having no keys attached to the centre of it. It is generally 

 used for exercising and racing purposes. It is well to have the 

 mouthpiece of a good thickness for ordinary purposes — of course for 

 racing it must be made thin. 



''We nest come to the twisted snaffle. Many horses go very well in 

 this that are difficult to ride in a double bridle, on account of the 

 objection they have to the curb chain, which irritates them and causes 

 them to pull, which they do not when ridden with this bit. The 

 mouthpiece should be tolerably thick and the twist not too sharp, as, 

 if it is shai^, it is liable to cut the angles of the mouth. There is 

 another capital bit, suitable for the same sort of horse as the 

 twisted snaffle, the mouthpiece of which is made of a cm^b chain 

 with good-sized links. It is very much used for racing ; it is an 

 excellent bit for a horse that pulls very hard, and it can be made to 

 act very severely by working it from side to side in the horse's 

 mouth. There are other sorts of snaffles, such as ring snaffles, very 

 much the same as are used in driving. There are also snaffles with 

 double mouthpieces of various forms. The gag snaffle is made of 

 the mouthpiece of an ordinary snaffle, either smooth or twisted, with 

 a ring at each end, through which the headstall of the bridle, which 

 is stitched in a rounded fonn, runs freely. Gags are sometimes 

 made with two rings at each end for the headstall to pass through, 

 but it is better to have only one ring, as then they work more easily. 

 Gags should never be used alone, but with either another snaffle or 

 a curb bit, and then they should be brought into use only when 

 actually required. They are most excellent bits for bad-mouthed 

 horses, especially if they are inchned to get their heads down — they 

 give the rider great power to stop a horse just when he wants. 



" I have come to curb-bits. They, except for military riding or 

 hacking, are seldom used alone, but are combined with one or other 

 of the different sorts of snaffles described. An ordinary curb-bit is 

 formed in this way of a mouthpiece, which is made in various 

 shapes, placed at right angles to, and connecting two uprights, which 

 are called the cheeks. The upper cheek is made shorter than the 

 lower one ; to the upper one is fastened the headstall, and to the 

 ring of the lower the reins ; to the top of each upper cheek is 

 fastened a spring hook, to which the curb-chain is attached which 

 passes under the horse's lower jaw ; and on the tightness of this, the 

 length of the lower cheek, and the shape of the mouthpiece, depend 



