ACTION OF THE MOUTH-PIECE. 87 



the "bars " of the mouth are those parts of the gums of the 

 lower jaw which are bare of teeth, and which are situated 

 between the back teeth and the tushes of the horse or 

 gelding, or the spots which they would occupy, were these 

 canine teeth developed in the mare. As the "bars" are 

 much more sensitive to pressure than the corners of the 

 mouth ; we should, when using the snaffle, endeavour to make 

 the horse carry his head so that he will not shift the 

 mouth-piece off the former and on to the latter. The 

 mouth-piece will, naturally, act best when the head is 

 carried perpendicularly to the ground ; but it can also 

 act efficiently if the line of the face is not at a less 

 angle to the ground than about 40°. The apparent anomaly 

 of the mouth-piece of the snaffle not slipping off the "bars" 

 and on to the corners of the mouth in this case, may be 

 explained by the fact that the well-broken horse, when 

 being ridden or driven, keeps the joints of his lower jaw 

 in a more or less relaxed condition, so that the "bars," as 

 a rule, will make a greater angle with the ground than the 

 line of the face will do. When a horse which is ridden in a 

 snaffle, is made to carry his head in a more or less perpen- 

 dicular manner, he may, as a " defence," relax his jaw, with 

 the object of letting the mouth-piece slip down in his mouth as 

 much as possible, in order that a certain amount of the pull 

 of the reins may be transferred from it to his poll, over which 

 the crown-piece of the bridle passes. Any '' defence " which 

 a horse makes by opening his mouth, may be counteracted 

 by the use of a properly applied nose-band. 



