364 BITTING CH. XV 



and port, or, still worse, even the middle of the 

 port, P, will bear upon one of the bars. As a rule, 

 the width of the port should be about one-third the 

 whole width of the bit; bits will vary from four to 

 five inches, the latter width being rare. 



The width of a bit may be reduced by using a 

 leather washer on each side of the lips, but this 

 still leaves the port too wide for the changed width 

 of the bit. 



The washer prevents the horse from taking hold 

 of the branch with his lip, but if he has this trick, 

 it is better to put on an elbow bit (C, Fig. 88), or a 

 lip strap. Of course, with a straight mouth-piece 

 without a port, the use of the washer is quite satis- 

 factory. A straight mouth-piece is rarely used on 

 a riding bit, and leather washers never. 



The high port, referred to on page 203, when 

 combined with a tight nose-band, which prevents 

 the horse from opening his mouth, is very effective 

 by pressing against the roof of the mouth ; but it 

 must be used with a licrht hand, or with the rein 

 in the cheek. 



The Pelham bit has a mouth- piece without any 

 port, but with a joint in the middle (Fig. 158). 



In addition to the ring's for the reins, which are 

 at the ends of the branches, there are rings at the 

 ends of the mouth-piece, and when the reins are 

 buckled to these rings, the bit is practically a snafiie. 



This is a favourite riding-bit and is used with two 

 pairs of reins, so that it acts as a curb or a snaffle, at 



