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rcidily feen, bscome powerful levers when drawn backwards, 

 aclin^ upon tlie mouth-piece as a centre, and fqueczing, by 

 means of the cliain, whatever iiiterpofcs between it and the 

 mouth-piece, with a force equal to the length of lever af- 

 forded by the lower branch. 



This force, it will be perceived, is influfnced and regu- 

 lated not only by the length of the lever btlow the mouth- 

 piece, but alfo by the greater or ItfT^-r diilancc at which the 

 chain is placed from it. The chain is ufvially fixed to the 

 eye of the check-piece, where the head-llall is faftened ; if, 

 therefore, this part is very long, it is evident it mull mode- 

 rate or countcrad the power and effect of the lower end of 

 the branch, and render it lefs fevere by bringing the centre 

 of motion nearer to the middle of the lerer. 



It appears raanifeft, from the conilructlon of this inftru- 

 mcnt, that its whole force is exerted upon the jaw itfelf, and 

 that it has power to pinch the bars with cruel violence, even 

 to the frafture of the bone, and this with very powerful 

 branches has fomctimes happened. It can alfo crufli and 

 bruife, and totally deftroy the tender covering of the inlide 

 of the mouth, and the fliin beneath the jaw. 



From confidering its mode of operating, it might reafoa- 

 aWy be doubted whether it does in reality ftop the horfe by 

 its power and oppofed force, as is generaiiy conceived at 

 prcfent, or rather by the feverity of the pain it iiiflidls ; as 

 (hould the horfe arm himftlf againll this, it is totally infuf- 

 ficient to arrell his courfe ; of which inftances occur in run- 

 away liorfcs eveiy day. And we lliiU ventiu-e to fuggcft, 

 though contrary to the general opinion, that the fuaffle, 

 even in this refpcfl, if tiie month h;>.s not been previoudy 

 liardened and fp likd by the ufe cf the curb, is the moll 

 powerful inllrumerit of the two. 



The moulli-plece of the curb is ofiuilly provided with an 

 upfet or arch in the middle of it, as it would,, if perfettly 

 ilraight, reft on the tongue, and occalion an uiipleafant rc- 

 Uraint. This paffage for the tongue is often made 

 {b narrow and fmall by the bit makers, that one fliould ap- 

 prehend they fcarctly had a right idea of its ufe. From the 

 circumftance of its allowing a paffage for the tongue, it has 

 been called by fome, the liberty ; and, for the fame reafon, 

 by others, the porle; hence we have the povte-mouth bit, 

 vulgarly called an>ong the bit makers and grooms the 

 Ponfmaulh bit : and by a fuppofcd counter expreffion 

 to this term, we probably get the ll'eymouth-hiU 



In draft horfcf, efpecially for the coach, it is a frequent 

 cuftom to have ainxcd to the upper part of the upfet fmall 

 rhair.s or po'.iilud drops of iron, v.'hich hanging loofe in the 

 mouih, and failing on the tongue, occafion the horfe to 

 champ the bits, and create a copix'.s flow of faliva, fo as 

 to llavcr tlie lips wiih its white froth ; and when this hap- 

 pens,, it is conUdcrjd by fome a good fign of health and 

 gaiety,, acd tliat the horfe is well bitted ; for, if the bits 

 are dilagrccable to him, he never plavs with them, or ex- 

 hibits any froth,, fay they. Tlicfe fmall appendages aje 

 termed, by the Fr;;i.eh Ls chaitidlcs, and by the Englidi 

 flnjrr.'^ 



It is farther to be obferved, rcfpefting the mouth-pisce 

 of the curlv that the ilraight pp.it which rells upon the. 

 bus ot the pvi, is termed by the French 'c canon, and by the 

 oM Eiiglilh v.riters^ thej.-ft'i-; and though a highly conve- 

 uicnt and ufeful word, it is to be regretted, it is at prcfent 

 out of ufe ; the French term, which is not fo cxprcffive, 

 having fupirfeded it. This part fhould bs well poiiilied, 

 and may be made of any proper figure, as that of a cylinder, 

 cone, oval, globular, pear-fiiapcd, kc. 



It u obvious that the efTcft of the curb, as far as it rcf- 



3 



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peas the bars, will be corre'pondent to the thicknefs or 

 thinncfs, fmoothnefs or roughnefs, of this part ; the larger 

 and broader it is, the more lurface it covers ; and thus the 

 prtfTure, by being diftributed over more points, becomes 

 Icfb felt. This enlargement, however, of the canon or jtiv:; 

 (hould not be carried to an excefs, by making it too heavy, 

 or tilling the horfe's mouth with more iron than it can con- 

 veniently receive, and thus cieate pain, inllead of greater 



eafe. . 



To render thefe irons lefs irritatmg to the mouth, and to 

 avoid their friftion upon the bars, the jeivesarc provided willi 

 loofe, moveable rollers of well polifhcd iron, which readily 

 turning on the axis of the bits, very coiifiderably dimiiiillr 

 their feverity. Thefe moveable pieces arc alfo parti- 

 cularly ufeful in preventing the horfe from catching and 

 holding tiie bit in his teeth ; as the curb, under thefe cir- 

 cumllances, can lliU move and aft with the fame freedom as 

 before. 



The jeives are fometimes compofed of three or four flat- 

 tifh knobs, united by a joint to each other, and with a joint 

 to the upfet, which is intended to rendei it very fcvere ; it 

 is obvious, however, that fuch an alter:;tian mnft bring it- 

 nearer to the condition of the inaffle ; the knobs, hoivcverjr- 

 if they can be drawn iranfverl'cly acrofs the barsj might pro- 

 duce coniiderable irritation, but not fo mi;ch as they 

 would do if not jointed. This bit is not" unfrequtatly ufed, 

 and is called with us the Hi/pnn-hw.. 



To the curb is often fixed a ring oppofite the mouth- 

 piece, which, as it is direclly in a line with the axis of the 

 bit, has uo other effeft when the reins are affixed to it, than a- 

 fnaffle would have, provided witli a fimilar mouth piece. This 

 is termed putting " the reins to the check," and tor horfesot 

 light draft, whole mouths are not ruined, it is by much the 

 bell, as the mouth is lefs annoyed, and the horfe obeys with, 

 more alacrity the guidance of the hand from this point, 

 than from the extremity of the branches, which are parti- 

 cularly ill calculated for this purpofe : this kind of con- 

 (Irudlion is generally diilinguilhtd by the name of the Pf.'- 

 !iam-h\t. 



In the older Englifh writers, as well as thofe on the Con< 

 tinent, on the fubjetl of bits, wc find an appendage dtf- 

 cribed, which is not at all, at prefent, in ufe ; and as it enter? 

 the mouth with the mouth-piece, it may, with propriety, be- 

 dcfcribed along with it. It cor.fiftcd of a chain exttndinjj 

 from branch to branch of the banquet, or cheek-piece, bcin;.j 

 placed rather above the mouth-piece, and parallel to it, anil 

 was llrctched acrofs perfettly ilraight and tight. Tins part 

 was called the ivater-chain, and by tlie French Treiiche-Jile :■ 

 its ule is not very evident. Mr. Berenger takes notice of it, 

 and obferves " that it might be ufeful to horfes that are apt 

 to drink or fwallow the bits, as the expreffion is, or bury it 

 fo deep in their mouths, as to hinder it from having a due 

 and jull effeil :" from its being laid afide fo generally,, we; 

 preiiime it has at leall been thought ufelefs. 



It is a common belief with the grooms, that a great 

 power refides in the upfet of the mosith-piece, and that tha 

 bits are more powerful as this is longer or fhorter ; nothing, 

 however, can be more fallacious than this reafoning. la- 

 the works of Laurence Reefe, alfo a French writer, we find» 

 in confonance with this idea, a curb^.vvithan upfet of unufuaL 

 length, being deflined to correct the vices •■ d'un Rouffi.i; 

 qui a la bouche d'une diablc ;" it will be obvious, how- 

 ever, on a moment's reflection, that this part, from being- 

 made very lofty, and coming forcibly againil the palate, 

 would, compel the horfe to open his mouth, when it- 

 would ceaie farther to adl in any way ; with more reafon,, 

 the fame writer propofes, on the other hand,. " pour donnet 



grand 



