126 Bits and Bitting, 



does not or cannot follow the reins instantaneously and 

 accurately. 



We have already pointed out several disadvantages 

 of the mountain of pack that is built up on the shoul- 

 ders of some cavalry horses ; an additional one is, that 

 it changes the line of direction in which the pull of the 

 rein acts, so as to make it go right up into the sky, 

 and altogether miss both hind and fore legs, thus pla- 

 cing all horses, whatever the excellences or defects of 

 their organization may be, on the same dead level of 

 uncertainty and inaccuracy. It is not the weight alone 

 of "the epitome of a Jew's old-clothes shop" that is 

 so destructive, although this in itself is bad and ab- 

 surd enough ; what is still worse is the way in which 

 that weight is distributed, so as not only to render all 

 attempts at equilibrium impossible, but also to throw 

 the bridle-hand of the rider so high that he cannot use 

 any description of bit advantageously. A Cossack will 

 load his horse to almost the same pernicious extent 

 that most regular light cavalry men are compelled to 

 do, and still neither the speed, the agility nor the power 

 of endurance of the little animal is impaired in any- 

 thing like the same degree as happens with the troop- 

 horse ; the wxight is better distributed for all purposes. 

 —(Plate VI.) 



No doubt it is scarcely possible to avoid some degree 

 of pack on the front part of the military saddle, but it 

 is precisely for this reason that it is so highly important 

 to give the head of the troop-horse a proper position, 

 which can only be maintained by ver}^ careful and ac- 

 curate bitting, after that of the neck has been attained 

 by a judicious system of riding and breaking-in ; and 

 still one is astonished to see the pack of the officer 

 built up into the same absurd form as that of the pri- 

 vate, although there is no necessity whatever for this 

 being done. 



