IMPROVING ACTION 73 



horse used to the presence and pressure of the 

 bit on his tongue. Putting the tongue over the 

 bit becomes such a confirmed habit that some 

 horses will do it as soon as the bit is put in the 

 mouth and before any pressure whatever is 

 brought to bear on the tongue by the bit. This 

 aggravated form of the habit can be remedied 

 by using an ordinary ring bit with a straight 

 mouthpiece. This should be placed high in the 

 mouth, so that it is impossible to put the tongue 

 over it, and left in all day except when the horse 

 is feeding. In two or three weeks' time the 

 horse will become accustomed to keeping his 

 tongue in its proper position with respect to the 

 bit and stop trying to get it over. 



This, however, is only the first step, and the 

 next and most important one is to get the tongue 

 used to pressure. To accomplish this, attach 

 reins to the bit and buckle them to a roller at the 

 withers. For some time they must be left very 

 loose, so that the bit will exert no pressure unless 

 the horse extends his nose beyond its usual posi- 

 tion. In this way he will be brought to experi- 

 ence, by degrees, a little pressure on the tongue. 

 For a time he should be lunged daily with the 

 reins loose, so that he will get used to the presence 

 and occasional pressure of the bit when in motion. 

 Very gradually indeed the reins may be tighten- 

 ed, so that after some weeks the subject may 



