HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 169 



Mount. A horse, his rider and appurtenances are often 

 collectively referred to as a mount; as in the expression "a 

 fine mount," meaning a beautiful horse, saddle and rider's 

 outfit. 



Mount. A jockey's outfit. This includes the saddle; 

 racing bridle and martingale ; surcingle ; girth ; stirrup-straps 

 and stirrups — the weight of the whole varying from one to 

 three pounds. The ordinary riding saddle has underneath the 

 leather a wooden or iron stock or frame — but the stock of the 

 running saddle is a very thin piece of the very best sole leather, 

 hammered to w^onderful density and toughness, or else it is of 

 tenacious steel. The best leather is in the saddle and bridle. 

 The surcingle is of silk; the girth of pigskin; the stirrup-straps 

 of linen web, and the stirrups of light spring steel. The 

 English running saddles are made chiefly at Newmarket, Eng. 

 Saddles cost from $37 to if 58 ; and a complete mount will cost 

 from $85 to $110. 



Mouth, Hard. A hard mouth is one in which is a 

 thick, fleshy tongue, protruding over its channel and not only 

 filling it up but rising high above the level of the bars. 



Mouth-piece. The mouth-piece of the bit consists of 

 three parts — the port, to give freedom to the tongue, and the 

 two canons, which are the parts that come in contact with the 

 bars of the jaw or mouth. 



Mouthing" Bit. A large sized snaffle having one joint 

 in the center between the bars, the use of which is to gradually 

 teach the colt submission, and accustom him to the use of bit 

 and bridle. The bars are an inch thick at the guards, and 

 taper slightly to the joint, from which a flat oval piece of steel 

 about an inch and a quarter long, is suspended by two small 

 rings, and from three holes in the lower edge of the plate are 

 suspended small steel tags or pendants. 



M. R. C. V. S. These letters stand for : Member of the 

 Royal [England] College of Veterinary Surgeons ; and indicate 

 that the person whose name they follow is a graduate of that 

 Institution. 



Muddler. [Eng.] A clumsy horse ; one which easily 

 gets in a muddle. 



Muscles. Organs in the physical structure of the horse 

 which are known as the active elements in locomotion, the 

 bones with which they are connected being known as the pas- 

 sive elements. They vary greatly in quantity as well as 

 quality ; some contain a larger proportion of fibrous or cellular 

 tissue than others; and, also, other things being equal, have 

 less power. The force of the muscles is not always concen- 



