THE CAYESSON, SNAFFLE, ETC. 159 



end of the strap (inch wide), instead of being split into 

 two narrow ones, each carrying its own ring, is left 

 of its full width, and carries one ivory ring of If inch 

 internal diameter and 2J external, leaving, therefore, 

 f of an inch for the thickness of the ivory. The 

 usual length of the martingale from the ring to the 

 buckle is 3f to 4 feet, the latter affording scope for 

 adjustment ; and there is, of course, a neck-strap for 

 carrying the martingale, which is too well known to 

 need description. 



Let us now suppose the horse to be saddled and 

 bridled with a plain snaffle, the first step will be to 

 buckle the chin-strap into the rings of the mouth-piece, 

 the martingale having been previously put on in the 

 usual manner, and its length so adjusted that the large 

 ring it carries may just reach the level of the joints of 

 the shoulders. The next step will be to buckle one 

 end of the running-rein into a D-ring attached for that 

 purpose to the pommel of the saddle on the near side ; 

 the other end of this rein is then carried forward 

 through the ring of the martingale (from rear to front), 

 from thence through the ring of the chin-strap from 

 left to right, and back again through the marfcingale- 

 ring (from front to rear), from whence it goes to the 

 rider's right hand. 



It is evident that a pull on this running-rein will 

 act directly on the mouth-piece, drawing it back 

 and somewhat downwards towards the horse's breast- 

 bone ; the great value of the whole arrangement 

 being, that by taking the running-rein and right 

 snaffle-rein into the right hand, and the other siiaffle- 

 rein into the left ditto, we can place the horse's 

 head in any position we desire, and get a pull on the 



