THE HOESE. 41 



small and sharp, but generally they are mild, and 

 ever ought to be so, and pleasant to the horse's mouth, 

 and when a horse pulls fair at this kind of bridle and 

 is easily governed by it, he is still, in the old style, 

 called a good snaffle bridle horse. Racers are always, 

 hunters generally, ridden in a snaffle bridle, a check 

 cord and rein being appended to it, in the case of a 

 hard pulling horse, that cannot be otherwise held. 

 Generally, the utility of sharp bits is extremely prob- 

 lematical ; since, if effective at first, they cannot fail, 

 from use, to render a horse's mouth callous and ob- 

 durate ; and if otherwise, they keep him in a constant 

 state of fretfulness and pain. It may be added, that 

 no bit, however hard and sharp, will hold a determined 

 vicious runaway. Many horses, also, are heavy in 

 hand from ill-formed shoulders or neck ; for instance, 

 the cock-throppled or reversed neck ; from tender feet 

 or crippled joints, making use of their "fifth leg;" 

 all when unwell. On the whole, mild bits, comfort- 

 able to the horse, and it is a pleasure to find him 

 playing with his bit, are more profitable and more 

 conducive to good management. The double reined 

 bridle, with curb and snaffle, may well come under 

 this description, the curb not being inordinately se- 

 vere. It has been long the fashionable bridle for the 

 road, and the curb may be enforced or slackened, 

 according to the direction of the hand. The single 

 curb may be classed with severe and unfavourable 

 bits. The running martingale is the only remedy, 

 with a hack which has acquired the habit of throwing 

 up his head. 



The general riding or jockey system of England is 



