44 BITTING. 



twice, to make the mouth accustomed to and hardened to 

 the bit. Next put on a surcingle, with check and side 

 reins, buckling the reins at first so long as to bring but 

 little restraint upon the mouth. After being on thirty or 

 forty minutes, take it off. At each repetition, buckle the 

 reins a little shorter, until the head is brought up and 

 back freely to the check. 



It seems needless to introduce details of a bitting har- 

 ness. Any simple construction of the ordinary kind will 

 answer very well, and the style is so generally understood 



A simple, safe way of bitting the Colt. 



that a description here is unnecessary ; the object being 

 to bring such restraint upon the bit that the head will 

 be held up and back most naturally and easily, without 

 giving it freedom, except in the direction of the reins. 

 Care should be taken to have the throat-latch so loose, 

 that there will be no pressure of it upon the throat when 

 checked up. The gag-runners should be well up near the 

 ears. Care must be taken not to bring too much restraint 

 upon the bit by buckling the reins so short, at first, as to 

 endanger causing the colt to throw himself over back- 



