•54 Bits and Bitting. 



ning-rein or martingal should act directly on the snaffle 

 or bridoon itself,* be wholly independent of the reins, 

 and afford a facility for adjusting its action, or altoge- 

 ther putting an end to it, without altering either buckle 

 or strap, or even halting the horse if in motion. 



As a general rule, when a horse has been once prop- 

 erly broken in and bitted, it should not require any con- 

 trivances of the sort : its use being continued after a 

 certain period is an evidence of something being wrong. 

 Sometimes this is incapable of remedy, being a conse- 

 quence of some peculiarity in the animal's build, and 

 then there is no help for it ; but a good running-rein, 

 possessing the qualities mentioned above, affords very 

 frequently most valuable aid in the first handling, and 

 will, if judiciously used, save the rider a great deal of 

 trouble, the horse an equal quantity of ill-usage, and, 

 finally, simplify all questions of bits and bitting in a won- 

 derful manner. 



The best of all these contrivances hitherto invented 

 is perhaps that known under the name of Seeger's run- 

 ning-reins (Schleif-Ziigel), being perfectly simple, safe 

 and applicable to all styles of riding. M. Seeger, the 

 justly celebrated riding-master at Berlin, and undoubt- 

 edly at the head of his profession in Europe, first brought 

 it forward. It consists of three distinct pieces, the chin- 

 strap, the running-rein and the martingal. The chin- 

 strap consists of a leather curb furnished at each end 

 with a small buckle and strap, by means of which it is 

 attached to the cheek-rings of the snaflSe or bridoon, the 

 entire length, including the buckles, to be 6 inches ; 

 these .atter, when covered with leather, just wide enough 

 to admit a strap 4^ inches wide, and 2\ long, project- 

 ing over the buckle, behind which it is sewed on to the 

 body of the curb. This curb carries a rounded strap in 



* It is both useless and dangerous to interfere with the action of 

 the bit by means of such contrivances. 



