J 8 ROAD, PARK, AND SCHOOL 



the branches free play ; but if the lips be thick, as 

 is often the case in coarse-bred animals, the mouth- 

 piece should be roomy, or the branches will pinch 

 the lips against the curb chain. 



The curb bit is designed to act as a lever of the 

 second class. The curb chain, passing from the 

 upper-arms under the chin, gives to the upper ends 

 of the bit a fulcrum ; the power is applied through 

 the reins to the lower branches of the bit, and the 

 weight or effect is felt upon the bars of the horse's 

 jaw. With loosely fitting bearings upon the yielding 

 head of a horse, it is impossible to secure all the 

 power of the lever, or to accurately give the pro- 

 portions. Generally speaking, the upper-arms of 

 the bit, from the centre of the mouth-piece to the 

 point where the curb chain takes its bearing, should 

 be from one and three-quarters to one and seven- 

 eighths inches, depending upon the depth of the 

 jaw. The branches should be long or short, as the 

 rider wishes a mild or a severe bit. If the bit 

 be too mild in its effects, the rider runs the risk 

 of encouraging the animal to bear upon the hand. 

 But, except with a skilled horseman, it is dangerous 

 to have a severe bit upon a light-mouthed horse 

 that is high in the forehand. If the branches be 

 no longer than the upper-arms, the power applied 

 to the mouth of the horse cannot be greater than 



