140 Bits and Bitting, 



with a bridoon (using all four reins), by means of which 

 the action of the bit is very much weakened. There 

 are, however, a great number of racers and hunters 

 whose tempers, or desire " to go," require the perma- 

 nent use of a curbed bit, and hitting oft^the proper form 

 and size of this is sometimes a matter of great nicety ; 

 for the bit that will prevent bolting and enable the jock 

 to ride a waiting race may interfere with the horse's 

 starting freely, or " laying himself out when called 

 upon." No doubt the jockey that has a very close and 

 steady seat and places himself on the riglit part of his 

 horse's back, will be able to ride almost every liorse 

 with a snaffle, because, being independent of the reins 

 for his scat, his hand is light; and this is the secret of 

 snaffle-riding. Still, it is often a matter of convenience 

 or necessity to use a curbed bit, and it is therefore im- 

 portant even for the race-rider to know exactly on what 

 principle its action depends. 



Again, with the hunting man, the bit that enables 

 him to hold a runaway may interfere with the horse in 

 jumping. If he be not a mere rein-and-stirrup rider, 

 he can no doubt get on best with a snaffle ; but many 

 a man does not like the labor of holding a pulling 

 horse, and therefore prefers a bit. The difficulty a 

 good rider that prefers the bit will have to contend with 

 is to avoid the getting too powerful a bit .^ ox the putting 

 a suitable one into a part of the horse's mouth where it 

 must act contrary to his intention. Well, what we 

 profess to show is, that light bits accuj-ately Jilted are 

 more to be relied upon than the most atrocious instru- 

 ments of torture ever invented, and of which but too 

 many are in daily use. 



But we must, in justice to ourselves, say here, once 

 for all, that we know of nothing that can be done in the 

 way of bitting for the man that depends for his seat on 

 his reins — or on his stirrups, which comes to the same 



