66 BITS AND BRIDLE GEAR. 



the lower jaw, on which a curb bears. Major Dwj^er states 

 that it prevents the horse from catching the bit with his back 

 teeth. With a snaffle, when the animal is turned to the right 

 or to the left, it allows the horns of the snaffle, on the side 

 from which the horse is being turned, to act effectively against 

 the side of his upper and lower jaws. It may be used to 

 " take off " from the plainness of an animal's head. From 

 the foregoing observations we may see that a nose-band, 

 properly put on, will considerably increase the power of 

 either curb or snaffle ; provided, of course, that its presence 

 does not irritate the horse. 



It is evident that the lower a nose-band is placed, short of 

 interfering with the action of the animal's nostrils, the more 

 effectively will it carry out its object. In this respect, Gillard's 

 nose-band is the most useful form of this kind of bridle gear. 



To protect the horse from any painful pressure of the nose- 

 band on the sharp edges of the lower jaw, Mr. Langham-Reed 

 uses an India-rubber tube (a one-inch hose pipe tube will do) 

 to cover the rear portion of the nose-band (Fig. 78). 



CHIN-STRAPS. 



The object of a chin-strap is to prevent the curb-chain from 

 shifting upwards on to the sharp edges of the branches of the 

 lower jaw, and to keep the cheeks of the bit from swinging 

 forward and becoming reversed (Fig. 83), as they might do, 

 were it absent, in the event of the horse throwing up his head. 

 When the cheeks are thus reversed, the rider will have but 

 little control over his mount. If, however, when the animal 

 brings down his head again, the rider at the same time 

 slackens the reins, the cheeks of the bit will fall back into 

 their usual position. The chin-strap also helps to prevent a 

 tricky horse from catching the cheek of the bit with his lower 

 lip, or with his teeth. Chin-straps are generally made of 

 leather and provided with a buckle which is placed close to 



