ON ( LOTHING, ETC. 173 



to cireunistances. Those which are the most fre- 

 quently used, are snaffles. These as well as other bits 

 for racing purposes, should be made of steel, and as light 

 as possible, that is, they should not be of more sub- 

 stance than is absolutely necessary to prevent them from 

 breaking when holding a hard pulling horse in his ex- 

 ercise or race. It is adviseable to have the cheeks of 

 these bits made larger than those of bits in common 

 use. They should be six inches and three quarters in 

 length. For in riding a hard pulling horse, on a small 

 round course, more particularly should he be inclined 

 to hang at his turns, the rider, by persevering with a 

 horse of this description at the turn, so as not to lay 

 out of his ground in making it, may pull the bit, should 

 the cheek of it be short, into the horse's mouth, from 

 which circumstance the horse would have the power 

 of laying a long way out of his ground, and would 

 perhaps run out of the course. A horse which is 

 known to be very difficult at his turns, or which 

 is likely to bolt, should be rode in a bit, the inside 

 of the cheek of which should be armed with prickers. 



The eye of a racing snaffle should be made large. 

 It should be an inch and three quarters in the clear ; 

 for when a horse has to run in a martingal, it is neces- 

 sary to have two reins. 



The next bit to be noticed is the Pelham. It should 

 be made equally light with the snaffle, except the 

 cheeks of it, which are to be sufficiently stout in pro- 

 portion to their length, and the eyes of this bit should 



