TJie Lever ^ the Bit and Cnrh^ etc. i^i 



as to fill up the chin-groove completelj/, there will be 

 always a danger of its upper ^([•g^ coming in contact 

 with the sharp cheek-bones at every, even the slightest, 

 pull on the reins, and getting up a sore which imme- 

 diately interferes with the action of the bit ; we must 

 therefore select a curb that does 7iot altogether fill up 

 the groove. It is not easy to give any special dimension 

 for the width of the curb-chain : eight-tenths of an inch 

 will be found to answer the purpose very generally, but 

 if we can use a broader curb without injuring the chin- 

 groove, so much the better ; it is more likely to be flat 

 and painless. Curbs are frequently made to taper oft^ a 

 little toward the ends : there is no objection to this, ex- 

 cept that, being more difficult to manufacture with pre- 

 cision, they are seldom so well made as the curb that is 

 equally broad throughout. Single-chain curbs made of 

 flat links may be good, if not too broad or sharp-edged ; 

 the plain double chain will b^ probably better made, 

 and therefore preferable : the great thing is to avoid the 

 infliction of pain ; and if we are sometimes compelled 

 to use a very narrow curb on account of the chin-groove 

 being sharp and narrow, it will be well to have a cloth 

 case to run over it, which may be taken ofl' after use 

 each time. 



It is not possible to give an exact dimension in inches 

 for the length of the curb ; a little reflection will show 

 that it must always bear some special proportion to the 

 width of the horse's mouth and the height of the bars, 

 the latter of these quantities being nearly constant, whilst 

 the former one is variable, as has been shown above. 

 We must here anticipate, to a certain extent, the con- 

 tents of the next paragraph. In order to render the 

 action of the curb as painless as possible, it is absolutely 

 necessary that it should press upon the greatest extent 

 of surface that can be made available for the purpose, 

 for which reason, of course, we require this instrument 



