HORSE EQUIPMENT FOR RANGE WORK 359 



were needlessly cruel and no more able to check a head- 

 strong "bull-necked" horse than an ordinary cavalry bit. 

 Moreover, if a horse fell with one, the great sharp spade 

 sticking up in the roof of his mouth frequently cut 

 him badly, and I have known at least two fine cow ponies 

 to bleed to death from such accidents. 



A good solid-made bit with a U in it not over two in- 

 ches at the best, with a burr or roller if one cares for 

 it, and with shanks about five inches long, is good enough 

 for any rider to use. 



For reins there is plenty of choice. If you will once 

 break yourself in to the use of them, "open" reins are 

 the best; that is, the two reins are not tied together or 

 fastened at the ends. The advantage of this is that if 

 you are running and your horse falls with you, the reins 

 drop to the ground of their own accord and the animal 

 stops; while tied reins frequently hang up over the ani- 

 mal's neck and away he goes. Again, in dismounting, 

 in a hurry you simply drop your reins as you go down 

 instead of stopping to strip them over his head. It is 

 a little trouble at first to learn to handle open reins but 

 once done you will never tie a knot in your reins again. 



Blankets. Have enough, and not too much. Too much 

 is likely to scald a horse's back. Any loosely-woven 

 wool blanket like the Navajo Indian blanket, folded so 

 as to be about two inches thick, will do. The point 

 is to keep the saddle blankets clean. One of the best 

 ways is to wear a gunnysack between the animal and the 

 blanket. A heavy coffeesack is the best but an ordinary 

 burlap grainsack opened at the seams will do. This 

 takes up the sweat and dirt from the horse and when 

 dirty can be thrown away and a new one procured al- 

 most anywhere. 



