Hints on Horsemanship, to a Nephew and Niece / or, Common Sense and Common Errors in Common Riding

ye.-The noseband.-The horse's defence against the bit by the tongue.-Effect of the porte against this defence.-Defenc

above the corner teeth in a mare's mouth. The curb-chain should be so tight as not to admit more than one finger freely between it and the chin; these rules are sim

bility of contracting or of perfectly relaxing the grasp, by the application or withdrawal of the powers of the lever. This is the intended action of the bit,-the philosopher's stone,-after which all bit-projectors and bit-makers have laboured; the obstacles to be overcome are various and perhaps insuperable, and indeed could the powers of the lever be employed on such exquisitely sensitive parts as the bare jaws, when within this iron vice, perhaps no hand could be found sufficiently delicate to use them. By pressing your finger-nail against your own gums, you may form some idea

h or side of the bit) and inside the mouth it has a mixed action, on the fleshy part of the gums above the bars, on the lips, and (owing to the narrowness of the porte) on the tongue. Outside the mouth, the bit acts on the coarse part of the two jawbones, above the fine part of the chin, where the two jawbones meet, where the curb-chain was or

f a century ago, I placed on the bit of the 2nd Life Guards what has since received the name of "the loose eye," and I am proud to see it still where I placed it.

pedes the true action of the bit. To close the horse's mouth, in order that a high porte may act against

fence, and completely to engage the tongue within the porte. But being then much compressed, it will sustain a great part of the leverage, and the horse will endeavour still more to make his tongue the fulcrum of the bit, and to relieve his bars from that office, by protruding his tongue, and thus forcing the thick part of it within the porte. If the porte is made wide so as to allow space for the tongue, the corners formed by the porte and the cannons (those parts between the porte and the branches) are apt to work injuriously against the bars, and also to slip quite off them, which makes the action of such bits uncertain, though they are very effective and severe if the mouthpi

ror to attribute this to nature having formed one bar stronger than the other; but these and other tricks are not to be looked on as the results of natural defects, but as habitual defences against the pain caused by a hard, harsh bearing on the horse's bars; with a smooth and ge

of the branch) of the bit with the corner tooth. This is easily counteracted by a lip-strap. It should f

ilitary bit, is to prevent the horse catching his bit over his neighbour's reins. The French cavalry

to the degree of coarseness to be expected in the rider's hand. Martingale. So although a martingale spoils hands, it may be used as a defence, that is, supposing the necessity of mounting a high, harsh hand on a susceptible horse. In this case an easy snaffle with a running martingale will at least countera

urb bit which you wish to have the power of changing. The reins should be thin and supple, they will last the long

handling, has become a puller, or habitually restive, or whose animal impetuosity or ferocity leads him to attack his neighbours. In such a case a Chifney bit, with the mouth-piece described, with half the length of leg, and a third part of

and "rule them when they're wildest." It is an implement which will give to the weakest hand the power of the strongest, which most of the strongest hands canno

rusted in riding with anything but a snaffle bridle; for, in driving, the terret-pad prevents false indications on the bit, therefore to ensure true ones being given, two hands are used, or when one only, two fingers are placed between the reins instead of the fourth finger only, consequently the horse obeys the slightest touch, and consequently his mouth and the driver's hand become mutually more light; but put the driver

and not force; "'Tis well to have the giant's