82 ESSAYS ON HORSE SUBJECTS 



contrivance attached to a girth and crupper and 

 with elastic reins to buckle to the bit. The prej- 

 udice against it is largely the result of the irra- 

 tional manner in which it is used. In the ma- 

 jority of instances the reins are buckled too 

 tightly at first, causing too much pressure on 

 the mouth, and forcing the head and neck into 

 an unnaturally constrained position. This, in- 

 stead of cultivating responsiveness of the mouth, 

 causes irritation of that organ, gets a horse into 

 fussy habits, and makes him lie on the bit, doing 

 more harm than good. One not infrequently sees 

 a horse standing in a stall with a dumb jockey 

 on him, his mouth partly open, his tongue over 

 the bit, and boring down on it, and sweating pro- 

 fusely from the discomfort he is suffering. A 

 dumb jockey used in this way is worse than use- 

 less. One of the objects of using a jockey is to 

 get the nose in, and from the manner in which it 

 is used by many it is evident that they seek 

 to accomplish this by sheer mechanical force, for- 

 getting that they are training nerves and mus- 

 cles to responsiveness, which can only be done by 

 degrees. 



As soon as a horse shows evidence of discom- 

 fort, loosen the reins and tighten them gradual- 

 ly again. If the subject draws his tongue up in 

 his mouth, or puts it over the bit, raise the bit in 

 his mouth. Some horses get their heads too low 



