The Neck^ the Hcad^ etc. 145 



Hsh race-horse, has generally a good tough mouth of its 

 own, because it is taught from earliest infancy to lean 

 on the bridle, and seek a fifth foot in the rider's hand ; 

 whereas, on the contrary, we often find a perfectly ple- 

 beian brute, with a tongue that overfills its mouth, and 

 everything else in proportion, not only extremely sensi- 

 tive to the action of the bit, but, in fact, totally averse to 

 its contact — that is to say, " behind the hand," because 

 it has miserable, flabby muscles, unstrung tendons and 

 weak hind quarters.* 



All this tends to show that it requires a considerable 

 deal of judgment, practical knowledge of horses, and per- 

 fect understanding of what is required in each especial 

 case, to enal)le one to undertake the task of selecting 

 and fitting bits with any chance of success ; whereas it 

 is a matter that is most usually entrusted to certain 

 classes of individuals who possess no other qualification 

 than the habit of wearing green baize aprons or nether 

 garments of a very peculiar description — viz., saddlers 

 and grooms. 



* A dishonest horse-dealer that really possesses talent will always 

 avoid showing you a horse with an incipient spavin or other defect 

 of the hind legs otherwise than on the lightest possible bridle: three- 

 fourths of these arising from "savage bitting." 

 13 K 



