72 



BITS AND BRIDLE GEAR. 



by the use of a nose-band, in the event of the horse open- 

 ing his mouth as a " defence " ; and will be almost entirely 

 nullified, by connecting the upper ends of the cheeks to the 

 head-stall (Fig. 89), as is sometimes done. In turning a 

 horse with a double-ringed snaffle provided with cheeks 

 (Fig. 39), the pressure of the outward cheek will cause the 

 ring against which it presses to lie flat on the cheek of the 



Fig. 89. Cheek of Snaffle connected to Cheek-piece of Bridle. 



horse, and consequently the risk of injury to the animal's 

 mouth is reduced to a minimum. 



The cheeks of a snaffle are usually solidly connected to 

 their respective rings ; the united ring and cheek on each side 

 being free to revolve on the mouth-piece. This arrangement 

 has the disadvantage of rendering the lips liable to get 

 pinched between the cheeks of the snaffle and the mouth- 

 piece, especially when the snaffle has been in wear for some 

 time. To remedy this defect, it is well to have the cheeks and 

 the mouth-piece made of the same piece of steel, and to have 

 the rings work in projections outside the cheeks (Fig. 90). 



