210 PRECEPT AND PRACTICE. 



Were a man with such to ask me what kind of bit 

 I should recommend his using, I should indubitably 

 not consider what sort of bit would suit the horse's 

 mouth, but the one that would suit the man's hands. 

 By this I mean, I should not recommend the sort of 

 bit that would suit the horse if ridden by a man with 

 good hands, but the kind with which he would be 

 the least punished and confused, ridden by a man 

 with, as we technically say, " no hands at all." The 

 bridle with which, in the first case, he would go 

 pleasantly and gracefully, would, in the latter, be- 

 come neither more or less than an instrument of 

 torture, under the effects of which he could go 

 neither pleasantly, gracefully, or even safely to him- 

 self or rider. 



One would naturally suppose that any man in the 

 habit of riding would be anxious to acquire so neces- 

 sary a part of horsemanship as good hands. Daily 

 observation, however, shows that it is not so ; and 

 this inattention or indifference arises from various 

 causes. The first is, the man knows nothing about 

 hands, consequently does not know that he has bad 



