THE USE OF THE BRIDLE 



The bearing and touch of this instrument can be 

 so varied as to admit of a continual change in the 

 degree of Hberty and control, of that give-and-take 

 which is the whole secret of comfortable progres- 

 sion. While the bridoon or snaffle - rein is 

 tightened, the horse may stretch his neck to the 

 utmost, without losing that confidence in the 

 moral support of his rider's hand which is so 

 encouraging to him if unaccompanied by pain. 

 When the curb is brought into play, he bends his 

 neck at its pressure to a position that brings his 

 hind legs under his own body and his rider's 

 weight, from which collected form alone can his 

 greatest efforts be made. Have your curb-bit 

 sufficiently powerful, if not high in the port, at 

 any rate long in the cheeky your bridoon as thick 

 as your saddler can be induced to send it. With 

 the first you bring a horse's head into the right 

 place ; with the second, if smooth and very thick, 

 you keep it there, in perfect comfort to the animal, 

 and consequently to yourself. A thin bridoon, 

 and I have seen them mere wires, only cuts, 

 chafes, and irritates, causing more pain and 

 consequently more resistance, than the curb itself. 

 I have already mentioned the fineness of Mr. 

 Lovell's hand (alas ! that he has but one), and I 

 was induced by this gentleman to try a plan of 

 his own invention, which, with his delicate 

 manipulation, he found to be a success. Instead 



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