* HANDS' AND OTHER MATTERS 121 



I have never found any of these effective for any 

 length of time, and also I don't mind in the least 

 if he does put his tongue over the bit. I don't see 

 that it matters. He will put it back again when 

 it suits him; and when it doesn't he won't. But 

 this is certain, that the more comfortable he is, 

 the less excited he will be and the less he will do 

 it; and furthermore, I have never been able to 

 tell (without looking) whether he has his tongue so 

 placed or not. And if that is the case, what is 

 there to bother about ? 



Of course, when training a young horse we must 

 certainly do all we can to prevent his acquiring the 

 habit of getting his tongue over the bit, as he will 

 never acquire a good and delicate mouth if he does 

 so. But I am not referring to the bitting of a 

 young horse. I am thinking of the conversations 

 I often hear in the hunting field, from people who 

 are chiefly concerned in riding horses which they 

 have bought as trained hunters. 



No. If a horse doesn't go quietly with us, let 

 us not blame the horse, but ourselves. Let us ask 

 ourselves, what are we doing wrong? Possibly a 

 little more exercise and a little less " skof " for 

 both might prove beneficial, but a stronger and 

 more cruel bit, never. Horses often merely fight 

 for freedom (like mankind), and once given that 

 freedom will go quietly. A little sympathy and 

 a little confidence (which is two-thirds of the gift 

 of hands) will do more than all the bitting devices 

 in the world. Away, then, with your gags, and 

 your Hanoverians, and all those contrivances only 

 worthy of the dark ages, and let us stick to simple 



