Takn?g Measure for the Bit^ etc, 193 



thickness we want to know; and that, moreover, we 

 must take into account the temperament and "build" 

 of the whole animal when we set about determining 

 w^hat degree of relative pressure should be borne by the 

 bars of the mouth and the tongue respectively ; so that 

 this proceeding would lead to no useful result. 



Even those who have had most experience will 

 sometimes find themselves at fault if they rely merely 

 on measurement ; and Lieutenant Klatte, a Prussian 

 instructor in equitation at Berlin, many years ago in- 

 vented for this very reason what is known as the " trial- 

 bit" (fig. 15, B^. This affords us at once the means 

 of ascertaining the proper bit for every horse practically. 

 There are a certain number of spare mouthpieces which 

 maybe fixed in succession into the sidepieces of the bit, 

 their width being easily adjusted by means of a number 

 of small plates, / /, of one-tenth of an inch thickness, 

 removable at pleasure from the inside to the outside of 

 the sidepiece ; and having once ascertained the width 

 of the mouth, we may then, having also ascertained the 

 height of the bars of the mouth with the gauge de- 

 scribed in a preceding paragraph, proceed to shift the 

 sliding ringpieces r r till the upper bar has attained the 

 prescribed length, after which the curb with its hooks 

 are fitted, and then there only remains to slide the rein- 

 rings s s up or down till the proper proportion of the 

 lower bar has been attained. Of course, as we go on 

 from step to step with the adjustment, the straps of the 

 headstall, and subsequently those of the reins, must be 

 buckled into the respective rings ; and when, as a final 

 step, the bridoon has been fitted and the curb hooked, 

 the horse may be mounted and tried. 



In making this trial, those who have hitherto not 



paid much attention to the subject will do well to take 



account of the whole circumstances of the ca^e — the 



temperament, build, etc., of the horse, the uses to which 



17 



