BITTING. 169 



were, possessing all the bad tricks a faulty education could 

 engender. There is one part of your conversation that I 

 want you still further to explain, the mouthing, as you 

 termed it. Am I to understand that this is to take the 

 place of bitting, and if so, how it is effected, by merely 

 driving with the pad and reins ? 



PUPIL. I am glad you have questioned me on that 

 point, as I have had frequent arguments with those who 

 hold to the barbarous practice of bitting, when done by 

 the old appliances, which is to have a wide surcingle, or 

 rather leathern roller, with rings, buckles, and loops, in 

 every place where there was room to sew them ; a strong 

 crupper and bridle, with a half-dozen reins attached ; a 

 large snaffle bit, with three or four little pendants joined 

 to the ring in the centre, like those worn on Mexican 

 spurs. These are put on the poor colt, the bearing reins 

 tightened till his head is thrown in the air, when the side 

 reigns are buckled, so as to compel him to bring his muz- 

 zle as close to his breast as the check will permit. He is 

 now turned into a yard, and his tormentor takes a whip, 

 and forces him to run around in this confined space till 

 the man becomes tired. The victim is not released then, 

 but is left to fight against the bit, and endure the horrid 

 punishment for hours at a stretch. When asked the rea- 

 sons for thus cruelly treating him, you will be answered, 

 "that he may give way to the bit, get a proper, elegant car- 

 riage, set him on his haunches," &c., &c. There is not an 

 iota of sense in all this talk. The sensitiveness of the 

 mouth, on which much of the pleasure of riding or driv- 

 ing a horse depends, is destroyed. The constrained car- 

 riage of the head is anything but elegant, while the throw- 

 ing on the haunches, carries no meaning with it at all. It 

 is very true that when a colt is first put to work, he has a 

 slovenly way of going ; his head is carried low, and his 

 whole appearance is very different from one that has ac- 



