THE MEXICAN BIT AND CURB. 85 



which were offenses from the horse's standpoint. 

 The Percheron is slow and sullen and never for- 

 gives nor forgets." 



Are they not especially valuable as draught- 

 horses? 



" Immensely so. They are never speedy, but have 

 enormous strength and endurance, being founded on 

 Arab blood, and can pull for so many hours a day, 

 and so many miles an hour, tremendous weights, and 

 show no fatigue. The express companies own a 

 large number of Percherons for which they pay the 

 stated sum of $333.33 apiece, or $1,000 for three." 



Did you ever see a horse injured by thrusting a 

 cold metal bit in his mouth? 



" That is of too frequent occurrence for me not to 

 have seen it, and far oftener than I like to think of." 



One cold frosty morning I heard one boy say to 

 another, " I dare you to put your tongue on this iron 

 lamp-post." In a twinkling the boy did it, and the 

 skin of his tongue was* left on the frozen iron. I 

 was indignant at such an outrage, but had no time 

 to interfere. Would a cold bit have a similar ef- 

 fect? 



" Certainly, madam. The horse's tongue is equally 

 sensitive, and a frozen bit, whether of steel or iron, 

 has done infinite mischief to the poor animal, which 

 could never be accounted for. Many a run-away 

 can be traced to this unthinking carelessness or 

 ignorance. " 



It should not be difficult to remedy. 



" A cold bit can be quickly warmed by thrusting 



