80 ESSAYS ON HORSE SUBJECTS 



maximum of style and action. To realize fully 

 what the perfect handling of a curb bit means in 

 promoting style and action, one has only to ob- 

 serve a horse skilfully handled with one, espe- 

 cially if he has a good mouth. The dexterous 

 rider or driver brings out all the responsiveness 

 there is in the horse without causing him to fight, 

 while the unskilful handler allows a horse to 

 carry himself imperfectly and gets him off his 

 balance, thereby lessening his gracefulness, style 

 and action. The change from a snaffle to a curb 

 bit should be made carefully and discreetly, as it 

 takes a horse some time to get used to the change. 

 We have good opportunities in the city of observ- 

 ing the ill-effects of the abrupt change. A dealer 

 gets in from the country a horse that is possibly 

 well broken, but has never had a curb bit in his 

 mouth. He hitches the horse, puts a curb bit 

 in his mouth, and "pulls him together," as it is 

 expressed; that is, he urges him with the whip 

 and restrains him to get all the style and action 

 he can out of him. He is very much encouraged 

 to see his new purchase make such a good show- 

 ing. The next day he puts the horse in harness, 

 but finds that he does not go so well, showing ir- 

 ritability in connection with his mouth. The 

 horse may hold his head sideways, open his mouth 

 more or less, put his tongue over the bit, toss 

 his head or carry it unsteadily, pull, hitch, go off 



