MOUTHIXG BITS. 31 



The straight bit having a wooden mouth- 

 piece I also object to, for by being softened with 

 the sahva in the mouth, it is easily torn and 

 roughened during the process of ' champing,' 

 (for every colt will play with his bit as a rule,) 

 and whenever it comes in contact with his teeth 

 a wooden bit is more or less lacerated, thus 

 presenting a roughened surface, which is any- 

 thing but conducive to the formation of a good 

 mouth. 



The next on the list is a straight bit with 

 smooth rollers or rings on its mouth-piece, 

 which are for the purpose of preventing the colt 

 from sliding his mouth from one side of the bit 

 to the other. This may be all very well in 

 theory, but here prevention is not better than 

 cure, for the colt will so injure his lips and 

 gums as to make him either hard-mouthed or 

 extremely sensitive, so much so in fact that the 

 least pull on his mouth will make him throw 

 up his head instantly, and thus not being able 

 to see where he is going to is the cause of 

 many an accident. This is the bit which brings 



