B I T 



of the lips, as is mod ufiially the cafe. ^Vliere the tongue 

 is large and prominent, the iipfet (hoiild alio be in propor- 

 tion, othcrvvifc the bits could not rell upon the bars, but 

 n-Qiild prtrfs upon the tongue. 



In regard to bitting the horfe, and the confideration of its 

 efftds, we cannot dcfire to fee any thing more confonant to 

 irulh and reafoti, tiian what has been given us by Mr. Be- 

 rena-r, and with fome ufcful cxtrads from his valuable 

 ptrFormance, v.e (hall conclude this article. 



Of iiltinx harfss tu'ilh th: curb. " In the beginning of an 

 tindertakmg, whofe aim is to fnbdue and reclaim nature, 

 and lliat at a time when (lie is wild, ignorant, and even 

 aftoiiilhcd at the alten\pts which are made upon her, it is 

 evident that (he mnfl not be treated but with lenity, in- 

 ftrucled with patience, and by fmall degrees, and that no- 

 thing (honld be offered that may hurt, furprize, or occa- 

 fion any difguft. 



The horlcman, therefore, (liould not aft the part of a 

 tyrant, hut of a lover ; not endeavour to force htr to fub- 

 milhon, but drive to gain her confent and good will by 

 affidnity, pcrfeverance, and the gcntleft attentions ; for 

 what profpcft of fuccefs would rougher manners afford? 

 To what purpule would it be to compel a colt to go for- 

 ward, or turn from fear of t!ie whip or fpur, and to trot 

 and gallop fa freely as to fupple his hmbs, and form his 

 paces ; if tlie no\elty of the bit, and the unaccuftoined ref- 

 traint to which it fubjefts him, (liould vex and confound him, 

 fo as to make him not know what to do, or how to be- 

 lave in thefe extremes ? It cannot be cxpefted, thai he will 

 be guided, and go with cafe to himfclf, or pleafure to the 

 rider, if the inilrnment, by which he is to be condufted, 

 offends or gives him pain : all habits and acquirements 

 (liould be attained gradually, and almoil imperceptibly : ri- 

 gour and precipitation would ruin all ; and, inllead of form- 

 ing the horfe to the execution of what is required, may 

 plunge him into vice and rebcUi m, fo as to occalion much 

 trouble and lofs of time before he can be reduced. 



He (hould not therefore, at lirft, be confidered as if he 

 was defigned to be formed to all the delicacy and cxaftnefs 

 of the bit ; and the horfcman (liould be content, if he will 

 endure it in his mouth, fo as to grow, by tittle and little, ac- 

 cuftomed to it, till the rellraint becomes by habit fo familiar 

 and eafy, that he not only is not offended, but begins even 

 to delight in it ; for this purpofe, great care (hould be 

 taken that the bit be eafy and gentle in all its parts ; that 

 the mouth-piece be larger than it need be ior an horfe al- 

 ready bitted ; that it in no wife incommodes the bars, 

 fqueezes the hps, or galls the tongue. 



The mouth-piece, called a caimon, with a joint in the 

 middle, will be the moll fuitable ; the ends of it (hould be 

 as large and full as the fize of the mouth will permit, for 

 the thicker and more blunted they are, the eaficr they will 

 be for the horfe, and the a/>ptii Icls ilrift and fevere. 



The links of the curb (hould be big, fmooth, and well 

 polilhed : the curb fomewhat long. The branches (liould 

 be exaftly even with the hue of the banquet, to make the 

 appui moderate and equal ; they (hould likeuife be long ; 

 nor does it fignify of what (liape they are, for with moil 

 horfcs they ought to be fo weak, as fcarccly to have any 

 effcA ; fo requifite it is to guard againft every thing that 

 may annoy or di(l,;ih the horfe in thefe firll trials. In 

 order to reconcile him to this new conftraint, the reins 

 (hould be held in both hands ; and the horfe, for fome time, 

 (hould only walk under the rider. Above all, upon this, 

 and all other occafions, a firm, a light, and diligent hand, 

 i> neceffary. 



Such are the outlines and general principles upon which 



B I T 



the art of bitting horfcs is edablilhed ; which nrt, as far 

 as it reaches, is fure andconllant; but which, in fpite of 

 all tlie merits and praife of which it has fo long been in 

 poff'lTion, will, upon a ferious and drift trial, never, I 

 doubt, be found adequate to the views of a found and in- 

 telligent horfcman, nor capable of bringing a horfe to that 

 degree of fupplenefs and exaftnefs of carriage, which the 

 truth and perfeftion of the art require, tliele attain- 

 ments fecniing to have bee i referved for a more fnnple but 

 powerful machine, called U.eJhiiJ/le." 



" To perform his bufinefs judly and gracefully, the 

 animal mud fird be made fupple in his fore parts, and his 

 head and neck fo managed, that one may be raifed, and the 

 other arched or bent, more or lefs to the hand to which he 

 is to turn. The bridle, called the bit, is fo impotent in its 

 endeavours to raife the head, that it even produces the op- 

 pofite tfl'eft ; nor from the confinement in which it keeps 

 the horfe, and the fmall compafs it affords for the aftion of the 

 rein, does it allow the rider fulficicnt room to bend him, with- 

 out pulling down his head, andputtinghimuponhislhoulders, 

 both of which are incompatible with the true and found 

 principles of the art. The frequent ufe of cavefons and 

 bridons, fully evinces the want of power in the bit to fup- 

 ple the horfe, or raife the fore part. 



The figures and reprefentations of horfes working upon 

 different lelTons, may be appealed to for the confiirnation of 

 this affertion : the books of pall times abound with them, 

 efpecially that boalled work of that king of horfemen, 

 the duke of Newcallle, whofe horfes are all drawn with their 

 heads between their knees ; and yet are exhibited to the 

 equedrian world as dandards of truth, and models of per- 

 fection. The fucceffors of this duke, and of other great 

 maders, as imitators, are generally a blind and fervile herd, 

 ran headlong into the errors, and adopted the faults of their 

 prcdeceffors ; and aUvays made ufe of bits, without re- 

 flefting upon their effefts, or perceiving that they could 

 operate to make the horfe carry low, or to put him upon 

 his (houlders, while they thought that he was all the time 

 upon his haunches." 



" If ever there was a panacea, or univerfal medicine, 

 the fnaffle is one, for the mouths of horfes : it fuits all, and 

 accommodates itfelf to all ; and either finds them good, or 

 very fpecdily makes them fo ; and the mouth once made, 

 will be aUvays faithful to the hand, let it aft with what 

 agent it will. This bridle can at once fubjeft the horfe 

 to great reftraint, or indulge it in eafe and freedom : it can 

 place the head exaftly as the horleman likes to have it, and 

 work and bend the neck and (houlders to what degree he 

 pleafes. He can raife the head, by holding up his hand ; 

 by lowering it, it can be brought down ; and if he chufes to 

 fix and confine it to a certain degree, he mull ufe for this, 

 as well as for the purpofe of bending, ciotible reins ; that is, 

 two on each fide, the ends of which mud be fadened in a 

 ftaple near the pommel of the faddle, or to the girths, 

 higher or lower, as the mouth, proportions of the horfe, 

 and his manner of going require ; and if properly meafured 

 and adjuded, they will form and command the horfe fo 

 effeftually, as, in a great degree, to palhate many imperfec- 

 tions of the mouth, and many faults in the mould and 

 figure." 



" The reins thus fadened, or even one only, for the fake 

 of working one jaw and one fide, will operate more or lefs, 

 as the branches of a bit ; and the fnaffle will almod be a 

 bit, a bridon, a cavefon, and martingal, in one. When 

 the horfeman would bend the horfe, he mud pull the rein 

 on that fide to which he is going, and lengthen that of the 

 oppofite, tliflt they may not counteraft each other. No- 

 thing 



