I 3 6 The Compleat Horfeman : or D 



he fays, being very rude, and fpoiling Horfes 

 Mouths, are generally laid afide : I fhall therefore 

 defcribe fuch of thofe Bitts only, as are at prefent 

 moft in ufc among ft us : And firft, 



Of the Canon-month jointed in the middle. Fig. 2. 



This always preferyes a Rorfe's Mouth whole 

 and found , and altho' the Tongue fuftain the whole 

 effort of it, yet that part is not fo fenfible as the 

 Bars, which have their feeling fo very fine> that they 

 feel the prefTure of this Mouth through the Tongue, 

 and thereby obey the leaft Motion of the Rider's 

 Hand : If then the Bitt- mouth retted wholly upon the 

 Bars, it would be a ready means to turn a Horfe's 

 Mouth defperate. The larger it is towards the 

 ends fixed to the Branches, the more gentle it will 

 be, becaufe it will thereby be fo much the lefs capa- 

 ble to conftrain a Horfe. It fhould be always held 

 as a certain Maxim, that a Man ihould make ufeof 

 this Mouth to a Horfe as long as he can, that is, if 

 with a fimple Canon- mouth he can draw from a 

 Horfe all the Obedience he is capable of giving, it 

 will be in vain for him to trouble himfelf to give him 

 another, becaufe this is the very beft of all. 



Of the Canon with a fafl Mouth. Fig. 3. 

 Next cometh the Canon-mouth all of one piece, 

 and only knee'd in the middle, to make a liberty for 

 the Tongue. This is proper to make fure thofe 

 Mouths, which being too fenfible, ticklifh, or weak, 

 chack or beat upon the Hand.' This Bitt will fix 

 fuch Horfe's Mouths, becaufe it refts always in one 

 place, fo that thereby deadning in a manner that 

 part, it maketh the Horfe to lofe his Apprehenfive- 

 nefs, who in a little time will relifh this Bitt- mouth 

 better than the laft, which being jointed in the 

 middle., refts upon the Bars unequally, fometimes 

 upon one fide, and fometimes upon t'other. This 



is 



