318 



THE HORSE. 



a joint is the simple remedy for all this, made in the form of a 

 segment of a circle, and with keys as usual hangino- from its 

 centre. This segmental form is better 

 than the straight bit, upon which the colt 

 is apt to pull on one side, and to get an 

 uneven mouth, whereas when standing 

 in the stable, and the reins are buckled 

 to his roller, crossed over his Mothers, he 

 can never do otherwise than get an even 

 pull upon all parts of his mouth, whether 

 he puts his lips close to one side of the 

 bit or the other. This is a very impor- 

 tant point in breaking all colts, and in 

 racing stock it is doubly so, because of 

 the necessity of preserving that delicacy 

 of sensation without which they can never 

 be taken round corners, &c., except by 

 lying out of their ground, and thence 

 losing a considerable distance. But with 

 this bit the mouth is gradually made 

 and witliout producing soreness in any 

 part, which afterwards tal'es the hit / and 

 this is tlie great feature in its use, for as 

 the tongue and gums lake its pressure 

 chiefly, so the angles of the moutli only 

 touch it at the will of the colt, and it is 

 when playing with it that they do touch 

 at all, and then only to such an extent as to avoid pain to tliem- 

 gelves. This bit, then, may be used on all occasions without 

 fear until the colt is fit to take his gallops, when a strong snaffle 

 may be substituted, and gradually supplanted by that small and 

 fine kind called the racing snaffle, but which need not be nearly 

 so small for the horse broken to the segmental bit as for one 

 " mouthed " to the ordinary breaker's snaffle. After the bit lias 

 been put in the mouth, no attempt at first should be made to in- 

 duce the colt to play with it ; but it may be suffered to remain 

 in the moutli while he is led about by the cavesson, and with- 

 out any side-reins being attached. When this has been done for 

 a day or two, the side-reins are buckled on, and are attached 



