60 ESSAYS ON HORSE SUBJECTS 



ment with each individual, and one can tell, by 

 driving or riding a horse a few minutes, as to 

 where the bit should be placed in his mouth. It 

 is usually best to place it rather high at first, par- 

 ticularly when changing to a curb bit, but if he 

 keeps his tongue under it and does not respond 

 readily to pressure, lower it as much as he will 

 stand without showing restlessness. The lower 

 the bit in the mouth, within certain limits, the 

 better, provided the horse will keep his tongue 

 under it and not fuss with it, and face it with a 

 reasonable degree of firmness. 



How frequently we see horses go off their feet 

 when going well within their speed at the trot. 

 Sometimes this is the result of excitability, but 

 in nine cases out of ten it is due to a feeling of 

 discomfort or want of confidence in connection 

 with the mouth. Very often this is caused by the 

 arrangement of the curb in giving too much lever- 

 age, especially if the hands of the driver are not 

 good. Some horses that go unsteadily with the 

 reins in the bar will go much better in the half- 

 check, or it may be in the plain check, but very 

 often the breaking at the trot is due to an in- 

 jured mouth. Horse owners sometimes endeavor 

 to overcome this tendency to breaking by giving 

 long drives, and fatigue will temporarily over- 

 come it as a rule, but there are horses that go un- 

 steadily when almost jaded. This tendency can 



