CHAPTER V. 



TAKING MEASURE FOR THE BIT — THE MOUTH-GAUGE 

 THE TRIAL-BIT. 



ALTHOUGH we have given above a certain amount 

 of permanent dimensions, or such as are nearly so, 

 for the bit, there still remains a certain number of vari- 

 able ones which must be ascertained in each individual 

 case — that is to say, the width of the mouth, on which 

 so much depends ; that of the tongue-channel, nearly 

 equally important ; and, finally, the relative thickness 

 of the tongue, which latter, however, just because it is 

 relative, is not susceptible of direct measurement. 



For those who have had much experience in this de- 

 tail, the width of the mouth, and consequently that of 

 the mouthpiece, may be ascertained with sufficient accu- 

 racy by puttuig any bit that is not too small into the 

 horse's mouth, and, whilst holding it gently up to one 

 side of the mouth, measuring off with a small rule 

 divided into inches and eighths or tenths how much of 

 the mouthpiece, if any, protrudes beyond the side of the 

 lips on the other side ; if we then deduct this amount 

 from the actual dimensions of the mouthpiece w^e at 

 once ascertain what those of the bit we seek should be : 

 but it requires some practice to enable one to do this 

 accurately. 



Von Weyrother, formerly chief of the school of equi- 



190 



