ABOUT THE BRIDLE. 15 



it in, as he should do. On some bits, the length of the 

 curb chain should not be more than nine inches. No curb 

 should be placed on any horse that has not been broken 

 to answer and bend to the pressure of it, as oftentimes 

 more harm than good will come from it, very probably 

 some accident. The throat lash should be loose enough 

 to admit the hand through, the breastplate should fit easily, 

 so that one can pass the hand between the breast and 

 leather. The girths of a lady's saddle, when properly 

 strapped up, should admit three fingers, and that of a 

 man's saddle four. 



The reader may like to know how to distinguish 

 the snaffle reins from the curb reins ; you have been told 

 how to distinguish one bit from the other, and now I will 

 explain to you how to know one rein from the other. 

 The snaffle rein is the upper rein, and has a buckle in the 

 centre, and is held outside. On some bridles the snaffle 

 rein is wider. The reason for having a buckle on the rein, 

 is to be able to part the reins quickly when you desire to 

 use a ring martingale. The curb rein is the lower rein, 

 and is sewn at the centre. It is held inside, that means 

 nearly in the middle of the hand, between the second and 

 third fingers of the left hand. 



Having mentioned a martingale in this chapter, I 

 might as well speak a few words with regard to them. 

 The only martingale that should be used on a saddle 

 horse is a ring martingale, and then let it be a running 

 one, as all other martingales are useless and dangerous. 



