300 LIFE WITH THE TEOTTEES. 



manner, but with very little satisfaction, as she seemed to 

 contimially have trouble with her mouth. In talking the* 

 matter over with my friend Hickok, he advised that I try 

 her with a check bit, side check, and nose-band attachments 

 I did so, and had Mr. J. H. Fenton make me a bridle ac- 

 cording to Hickok' s suggestion, the same as the one he wore 

 on St. Julien, and in the shortest time imaginable the mare 

 showed a very marked improvement in In r driving. I think_ 

 a horse should never be checked on the bit you drive him. 

 with; always have an extra check bit in his mouth. For- 

 bits, I find that most all horses drive well on an ordinary 

 size snaffle bit covered with rubber. I do not mean what 

 they call patent bits with guttapercha covering. I take a, 

 steel bit, have it nickel-plated to prevent it from rusting, 

 take a piece of white rubber hose, and have my harness- 

 maker cover the bit with it. Manufacturers tell me there is 

 nothing about the white hose that is disagreeable to the taste- 

 of the horse, while there is in the patent covering. I also 

 cover the check bit in the same manner. A great many 

 people who break colts, I imagine, do not realize how im- 

 portant a part this is in a horse' s education, as a majority of 

 them never drive a race in their lives. They seem to think 

 that if the colt is broken so he won't jump the fence or kick 

 you out of the sulky that is all that is necessary. Years - 

 ago, when I was a boy and lived on a farm I saw more pains 

 taken with a hundred dollar colt in breaking him than I see 

 now sometimes with a colt that the owner expects to get 

 thousands of dollars for. I have found that with horses that 

 have disagreeable habits of pulling on one rein, etc., it is a 

 grand idea to put a bitting harness on them, and turn them 

 loose in a large stall or paddock. Do not check them high 

 enough to make them fight the bit, nor leave it on long enough 

 to tire them. The oftener you put it on in that manner, the 

 better. It is an easy matter in winter when they are not im 

 training to put it on them a couple of time^ a day. 



We have now discussed the pulling question from the^ 

 horse's standpoint; the other side, the trainer and driver j. 



