168 THE HORSE. 



sufficiently hard for fair pulling, yet with a due share 

 of sensibility and liability to be affected and acted 

 on by the occasional use of the curb. The snaffle 

 bit should be of considerable thickness, particularly 

 at the ends next to the reins, and not made so long 

 that the joint work into the bars of the horse's 

 mouth. In favour of sharp bits, and of this and that 

 man's cunning, and ingenious devices by way of re- 

 medy, it may be indolently observed, what a fatigue 

 it is to be encumbered with the weight upon your 

 hands of a horse's head, and peradventure of his fore- 

 quarters ; but should this be the result of insensibi- 

 lity in the mouth of the horse, lameness, fatigue, or 

 natural sluggishness, the remedy and the animal's 

 defect will very cordially shake hands and jog on 

 together. 



The old attachment to " a good snaffle-bridle horse" 

 is a very rational one. Enthusiastically fond of the 

 horse from infancy, one of my greatest pleasures has 

 been derived from riding a horse with a good mouth. 

 Such a one as champs and takes pleasure in the bit, 

 and with jaws of such a temper and feeling as readily 

 to obey every motion of the hand, and yet sufficiently 

 hard to bear a good pull, and even delight in it. It 

 must not be the extreme delicacy of mouth, looseness 

 of neck, and general suppleness induced by a riding 

 school education ; these are all doubtless indispen- ; 

 sable for the airs and graces of the menage, and the 

 purposes of military parade; but they induce also a 

 fixedness of the joints, and an activity of a different 

 species to that which is required in speedy action and 

 for other occasions. Both horse and rider ought to 



