168 



BITS AND BITTING. 



being equal ; the horse will therefore bore in the rider's 

 hand. On the other hand, the bit with the short upper 

 cheek d c, equal half d e, will assume the position c ' d,f s 

 that is, it will fall through. The curb will no 

 doubt remain in the chin-groove, and act forwards in 

 the direction e c ', but forming a very acute angle with 

 the branches of the bit itself, will have scarcely any 

 value as a prop. The lever-action, however, will be very 

 great, the lower branch / d being to the upper one d c 



Fig. 12. 



in the proportion of 4 to 1. In fact, it will be too great, 

 and therefore reduces the prop to a nullity. 



The intermediate upper cheek d b, equal d e, will 

 assume the position b' d / 2 ; it will neither be stiff nor 

 fall through : the curb will remain in the chin-groove, 

 acting obliquely forwards in the line e b', and will afford 

 a sufficient prop or support ; and the lower branch of 

 the lever, / d, being in the proportion of 2 to 1 to the 

 upper one, d b, there will be sufficient lever-action. 



It will be now easy to understand how it comes that 



