IMPROVING ACTION 81 



his feet, or interfere. He may display any one or 

 a combination of these faults, showing that he is 

 uncomfortable and out of balance. 



Why this quick alteration in the manner of 

 going between the first and second hitching? It 

 is simply due to the fact that the delicate tissues 

 of the mouth have become bruised or abraded 

 from the rough handling of a bit with powerful 

 leverage. The horse's mouth is sore, and he can- 

 not face the bit without showing irritability, 

 which he manifests in the ways described. The 

 curb bit feels different in his mouth, the pres- 

 sure on the tongue is greater, and if the curb 

 chain is tightened and reins buckled to the bit, 

 so as to give much leverage, many horses will 

 chafe under the newly experienced increased re- 

 straint, and will pull, thereby greatly increasing 

 the injury to the mouth. If this is repeated, the 

 mouth is spoiled and bad habits produced. 



In getting a horse accustomed to the curb bit, 

 it is a good plan to let him stand with it in his 

 mouth in the stable for a few hours a day. This 

 gets him used to the shape and size of the new 

 bit, after which pressure can by degrees be 

 brought to bear on it. Some trainers are op- 

 posed to the use of a dumb jockey. Of course, 

 the mouth cannot be perfected by the use of this 

 device alone, but it is a very useful auxiliary to 

 other measures. The dumb jockey is a rubber 



