BRIDLES.
Description of a Bridle--Varieties of Bits--Snaffles--Curbs--Pelhams--
Nose-bands--Reins--Martingales--Adjustment of the Bridle.
As there is no difference between the bridles used by men and those
employed by ladies, I have compiled this chapter from my husband's
_Riding and Hunting_, to which I beg to refer my readers for any further
information they may require.
DESCRIPTION OF A BRIDLE.
A bridle consists of a bit, head-stall and reins. The _bit_ is the piece
of metal which goes into the animal's mouth; the _head-stall_ or
"_head_" is the leather straps which connect the bit to the horse's
head; and the _reins_ enable the rider to use the bit.
Some persons incorrectly restrict the term "bit" in all cases to a curb.
This particular application of the word is from custom allowable in the
expression "bit and bridoon," in which the bit signifies a curb, and the
bridoon a snaffle.
[Illustration: Fig. 32.--"Head" of a Single Bridle: _a_, Crown-piece;
_b_, _b_, Cheek-pieces; _c_, Throat-latch; _d_, Front or Brow-band.]
[Illustration: Fig. 33.--Unjointed Snaffle.]
[Illustration: Fig. 34.--Chain Snaffle.]
[Illustration: Fig. 35.--Ordinary Snaffle with Cheeks.]
[Illustration: Fig. 36.--Nutcracker action of Jointed Snaffle on Horse's
Mouth.]
[Illustration: Fig. 37.--Action of Unjointed Snaffle on Horse's Mouth.]
[Illustration: Fig. 38.--Action of the Curb as a Lever.]
The _names of the different leather parts of a bridle_ (Fig. 32) are as
follows:--
The _crown piece_ (_a_) passes over the horse's poll.
The _cheek pieces_ (_b_ _b_) connect the crown-piece with the bit.
The _throat-latch_ (_c_), which is usually pronounced "throat-lash,"
passes under the animal's throat, and serves to prevent the bridle from
slipping over his head.
[Illustration: Fig. 39.--Properly constructed Curb for ordinary Hunter.
Side View.]
The _front_, _forehead-band_ or _brow-band_ (_d_) goes across the
horse's forehead, and has a loop at each end, for the crown-piece to
pass through. "Front" is the trade name for this strap.
The _head-stall_ or _head_, which is the trade term, is the name given
to all this leather work.
VARIETIES OF BITS.
Bits may be divided into snaffles, curbs and Pelhams.
SNAFFLES.
A _snaffle_ is a bit which acts on a horse's mouth by direct pressure,
and not by leverage.
[Illustration: Fig. 40.--Ward Union Curb Bridle with Half-moon Snaffle.]
A _bridoon_ is the term applied to the snaffle of a _double bridle_,
which is a bridle that has a curb and a snaffle. A double bridle is
often called a "bit and bridoon."
[Illustration: Fig. 41.--Curb Chain covered with India-rubber Tube.]
[Illustration: Fig. 42.--Chin-strap unbuckled.]
[Illustration: Fig. 43.--Chin-strap buckled.]
The best kinds of snaffles are the half-moon snaffle which has an
unjointed and slightly curved mouth-piece (Fig. 33); and the chain
snaffle (Fig. 34). The objection to the jointed snaffle (Fig. 35), which
is the kind generally used, is that it has a nut-cracker action on the
animal's mouth, instead of exerting a direct pressure, as shown
respectively in Figs. 36 and 37. A chain snaffle should always have a
Hancock's "curl bit mouth cover," which is a roll of india-rubber that
curls round the mouth-piece, and prevents it hurting the mouth. In the
absence of this india-rubber arrangement, we may cover the mouth-piece
with two or three turns of wash-leather, which can be kept in its place
by sewing.
[Illustration: Fig. 44.--Curb reversed by horse throwing up his head, in
the absence of a chin strap.]
In all cases a snaffle should be thick and smooth, so that it may not
hurt the horse's mouth.
CURBS.
A curb is a bit which acts as a lever, by means of the curb-chain that
passes under the animal's lower jaw (Fig. 38). Fig. 39 shows a properly
constructed curb for a horse with an ordinary sized mouth. The best curb
which is in general use is the Ward Union (Fig. 40). The curb-chain
should have broad and thick links, so that it may not hurt the lower
jaw. This precaution can be supplemented by a leather guard or by
passing the curb-chain through a rubber tube (Fig. 41). A chin-strap
(Figs. 42 and 43) is necessary to keep the curb in its place (Fig. 44).
PELHAMS.
A Pelham is a bit which can act either as a curb or a snaffle, according
to the reins which are taken up. Unless a lady thoroughly understands
the handling of the reins, she should not use a Pelham, because her
tendency when riding will be to feel both reins, in which case the
snaffle reins will pull the mouth-piece high up in the mouth, which, as
we shall see further on, is the wrong position for the action of the
curb. Hence, only one pair of reins (either those of the snaffle or
those of the curb) should be brought into play when using a Pelham.
NOSE-BANDS.
The use of a nose-band is to keep the horse's mouth shut, in the event
of his holding his jaws wide apart, so as to resist the action of the
bit. To be effective, it should be fixed low down. The cavasson
nose-band (Fig. 45) is neat and serviceable.
[Illustration: Fig. 45.--Cavasson Nose-band.]
REINS.
Reins should be fairly broad (say, 7/8 inch) and moderately thin, so
that they may be handled with efficiency and ease. With a double bridle,
the curb reins are sometimes made a little narrower than the snaffle
reins, which is an arrangement I like, because it greatly helps the
rider to distinguish one pair of reins from the other. With the same
object, I like the snaffle reins to be connected by a buckle, and the
curb reins by sewing.
[Illustration: Fig 46.--Standing Martingale attached to rings of the
Snaffle.]
[Illustration: Fig. 47.--Lord Lonsdale's registered Running Martingale.]
MARTINGALES.
The only kinds of martingales which we need consider are the _standing
martingale_ which is buckled on to the rings of the snaffle (Fig. 46)
and the _running martingale_ (Fig. 47). Following in the footsteps of
that high priest of Irish horsemanship, Mr. John Hubert Moore, I pin my
faith to the standing martingale, as it has enabled me on many occasions
to ride, in peace and quietness, horses which without it would have been
most dangerous "handfuls." Its great virtue, when properly put on, is to
prevent the animal getting his head too high. If he be allowed to do
this and is unruly, whether from vice or impetuosity, our power over him
will more or less vanish, and besides he will not be able to accurately
see where he is going, in which case we will be lucky if we escape
without an accident. The famous steeplechase horse, Scots Grey, would
never win a race without one of these martingales to keep his head in
proper position. When lengthened out to its maximum effective length
(Fig. 48), it cannot possibly impede the horse in any of his paces or in
jumping. It is, of course, well to accustom a horse to its use before
riding him in it over a country. It at least doubles one's power over a
puller, and is invaluable for controlling and guiding a "green" animal.
[Illustration: Fig. 48.--Maximum length of Standing Martingale.]
It is a common idea that the chief use of a running martingale is to
prevent a horse raising his head too high. We find, however, that when
our best flat race and steeplechase jockeys and other good horsemen ride
with this martingale, they almost invariably have it so long, that it
has little or no effect in keeping the head down. When a horse is
prevented from raising his head too high by a standing martingale
attached to the rings of the snaffle, he is punished by the tension of
the martingale being transmitted to the mouth-piece of the snaffle, if
he tries to get his head in the air; but the moment he brings his head
down and bends his neck, cessation of the painful pressure will reward
him for his obedience. This automatic means of dispensing punishment and
reward is so accurate in its working, that a horse soon learns the
lesson set before him. But with a running martingale, the rider, in
order to reward the horse for bringing his head into proper position,
would have to slacken out the reins with a promptness that would be
seldom attainable, and with an entire disregard of control over the
animal. In fact, with a running martingale, adjusted so as to prevent
the horse from getting his head too high, the reins would have to
perform the dual office of keeping down the head, and of regulating the
speed, which duties could seldom be successfully combined. With a
standing martingale, however, the rider can safely relinquish the
adjustment of the height of the animal's head to the martingale, and
consequently he is not forced to check the horse's speed, when he wants
to get his head down. Some good horsemen, on finding that the running
martingale did not perform its supposed office efficiently, have
discarded it altogether, and thenceforth have trusted to their hands to
act as their martingale. In this they were right not to use a running
martingale to keep a horse's head down; but they were wrong in thinking
that keeping the head down was the only, or even the principal, use of
this article of gear. If we closely examine its action, we shall find
that the great value of this martingale is to aid the rider in turning a
horse by keeping his neck straight, when cantering or galloping, which
object is greatly facilitated by the opposite rein exerting a strong
pressure on the neck.
[Illustration: Fig. 49.--Side view of Horse's lower jaw.]
In regulating the length of the running martingale, we should carefully
guard against making it so short that it would interfere with the
horse's mouth, when he is not carrying his head unnaturally high; for
such interference could have no good result, and would probably impede
the animal's movements. Although it is impossible to determine with
mathematical accuracy the exact length of this martingale, we find in
practice that it should not be shorter than a length which will allow
it, when drawn up, to reach as high as the top of the withers.
Lengthening it out another three or four inches will generally be an
improvement. The use of a running martingale shorter than the minimum I
have just laid down, more or less irritates the horse; because, even
when he holds his head in correct position, he cannot escape from its
disagreeable pressure. The employment of a short running martingale for
'cross country work is a very dangerous proceeding; for if the rider
does not leave the reins loose when jumping, the horse will be almost
certain to hurt his mouth, and consequently he will be afraid to face
his bit, or will become unmanageable from pain, either eventuality being
highly dangerous to horse and rider.
[Illustration: Fig. 50.--Angle made by the Cheeks of a Curb, when the
Reins are taken up.]
ADJUSTMENT OF THE BRIDLE.
The bit is placed in the horse's mouth, because there is a vacant space
(of about four inches in length) on the gums of his lower jaw, between
his back teeth and tushes (canine teeth or eye teeth), as we may see in
Fig. 49. A mare has no tushes, or possesses them in only a rudimentary
form. The tushes of a horse begin to appear through his gums when he is
about 4 years old. If horses had not this convenient gap (interdental
space) in their rows of teeth, we would probably have to guide and
control them by means of reins attached to a nose-band, which is a
method practised by many American cow-boys when breaking in young
horses. Owing to the fact that their nose-band (hackamore) does not hurt
the animal's mouth, and that it gives all the necessary indications,
excellent results, I believe, are obtained with it.
[Illustration: Fig. 51.--View of under-surface of Lower Jaw.]
As the pressure of the bit should be an indication of the wishes of the
rider and not a means of inflicting pain, the bit should rest on the
least sensitive portion of the interdental space, namely, on the part
just above the tushes; because there the jaw-bone is broader than higher
up, and is consequently better able to bear pressure. Hence, with a
double bridle, the mouth-piece of the curb should be just clear of the
tushes of the horse or gelding (Fig. 49), and about one inch above the
corner front teeth of the mare; in fact, as low as possible without
making the curb-chain liable to slip over the animal's chin. The fact
of the mouth-piece of the curb being in this position has the further
advantage, that it prevents the curb-chain from working up on the sharp
edges of the lower surface of the jaw. The curb-chain in Fig. 50 rests
in what is called the "chin-groove," which is the depression that covers
the bone immediately below the point at which the lower jaw divides into
two branches (Fig. 51). The edges of these branches are sharp, but that
portion of the bone which is between their point of separation and the
front teeth, is smooth and rounded.
The snaffle, whether by itself or in conjunction with a curb, should be
placed sufficiently low, so as not to wrinkle the corners of the mouth.
The tightness of the curb-chain should in no case exceed that which will
allow the cheeks of the curb the amount of "play" shown in Fig. 50. With
a light mouthed horse, the curb-chain might be let out another hole or
two.
The throat-latch should be loose, so that it may not exert any pressure
on the animal's wind-pipe.