148 Bits and Bitthig. 



nience, it is usual to make each half of the mouth-piece 

 thicker toward the cheeks, and tapering oft' finer to the 

 joint connecting them, by which means a portion of the 

 pressure is transferred from the tongue to the bars ; and, 

 in addition to this, they may be slightly curved, which 

 has the same eftect. Let us suppose the length of such 

 a snaffle to be just sufficient to allow the cheek-rings to 

 come clear of the lips on either side, and we shall have 

 nearly the whole action of the instrument exerted in the 

 same direction as the pull on the reins — a matter of no 

 small importance, because it is the only true basis for 

 an understanding between the horse's mouth and the 

 rider's hand. 



We may make our snaffle very thin in the centre, and 

 very thick on each side, but we scarcely gain anything 

 in power by so doing, because, although a greater amount 

 of action is transferred from the tongue to the bars, the 

 thick portion of the iron acting on the latter produces 

 very little impression ; this variety of form might, how- 

 ever, prove useful with a slight-built horse having a very 

 thick tongue. 



Another plan is to leave the thickness of the iron un- 

 altered, but increase the curvature ; or to increase the 

 length of the whole snaffle, so that it projects an inch or 

 more at each side. Now either of these plans will, no 

 doubt, increase the painful action on the bars ; the latter 

 especially, much practiced by Irish horse-breakers, if 

 exaggerated, will convert the snaftie into an instrument 

 of torture ; but the result of this increased action is in a 

 wrong direction — it ceases to be a fore-and-aft pull, and 

 is converted into a pincer-like twitch on the lower jaw, 

 which becomes so painful that the horse tries to get the 

 mouth-piece on his teeth, which is usually resented by 

 sawing, restiveness being the most common result. 



Some riders have recourse to a double-jointed snaffle, 

 others, again, to a double mouth-piece, the joints being 



