THE CURB-AND-SNAFFLE BRIDLE—GUIDING BY THE REIN AGAINST THE NECK—CROUP ABOUT FOREHAND—UPON TWO PATHS

If but one bit is used in riding, it should be the snaffle, for it has a much wider range of effects than the curb-bit, and the latter, when employed alone, tends to lower the head of the horse, and has other defects. It is better, however, to have both bits, as together they answer every requirement. With the snaffle the rider may raise or depress the forehand, freshen and relieve the mouth of the horse occasionally from the restraint of the curb-bit, and counteract the defective action of the latter, prepare the horse for obedience to the indications of the more severe mouthpiece, and give many other results which will show themselves in practice. The curb-bit gives more power to restrain the horse, applies the pressure of the mouthpiece upon the proper place, which the snaffle does not always do, and by it the rider may more readily keep the nose of the horse down so that the face of the animal shall be vertical and thereby insure the right power upon the right place.

With trained horses I seldom draw the curb-reins, for the animals are so drilled and so sensitive that the snaffle is nearly always sufficient but the curb-bit is ever ready to enforce its peculiar powers should there be failure on the part of the snaffle, as, for example, where the horse throws forward its nose so that the snaffle takes a bearing in the corners of the mouth and so loses much of its power.

Ordinarily the curb-bit is used in riding, while the snaffle-reins lie slack, to be brought into play when necessary; and most horses, and most riders, require the curb-bit.

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The man, having mounted, will take in his left hand the reins of the curb-bit divided by the little finger, the reins of the snaffle divided by the long finger, the loose ends of both pairs of reins carried through his hand and held by the thumb against the forefinger, and draw the curb-reins until he can feel the mouth of the horse. The right hand will be kept on the loose ends of the reins behind the left, but when it is called upon to assist the bridle-hand it will act upon the reins in front of the left hand, except in shortening the reins, when it will draw them through the bridle-hand from behind. Then, closing his legs against the animal's sides, the rider should make gentle vibrations of the curb-reins by a play of his fingers until the pliant jaw and the working of the muscles under him show that the horse is ready to move in hand. In this form of collection he should go forward in the walk. To turn to the right he should bend the head of the horse with the right snaffle-rein caught in his right hand, and carry the left hand in which are the curb-reins over to the right until the outer rein comes against the neck of the horse. When the turn is begun, he should drop the snaffle-rein, and when the new direction is entered upon, he should bring the bridle-hand in front of him, so that there shall be equal tensions upon both curb-reins, and resume a direct path. In the same manner the turn to the left side should be inaugurated by the left snaffle-rein, and the bridle-hand will be carried over to the left until the right curb-rein is brought against the right side of the neck of the horse. This use of the curb-reins is called the indirect indications of the bit. On straight lines the bridle-hand should be held just above the pommel of the saddle, the thumb uppermost and pointing toward the horse's ears. No great movement of the bridle-hand should be made in demanding the turn; when carried over to the right, the thumb should point toward the rider's right shoulder; when carried over to the left, the thumb should point toward the ground over the left shoulder of the horse. By observing these directions the rein may be brought against the neck of the horse to give the indirect indications of the bit without too great movement of the bridle-hand. Gradually the employment of the direct snaffle-rein to inaugurate the turn will be dispensed with, and the change of direction will be made by the curb-reins only as they are brought against the neck of the horse.

In the walk and in the slow trot the horse should be ridden in hand on straight paths and in circles of varying diameters to accustom the horse to that form of collection in the curb-bit; and from time to time closer forms of collection should be demanded, first in the walk and then in the trot, until the half-halt may be produced and the advance be again made before the horse grows heavy. Whatever the form of collection, the jaw of the horse must be kept pliant and the forces of the two extremities be kept balanced. If the horse hangs upon the reins, its hind legs must be brought under the mass to lighten the forehand, and every movement should be light, even, and regular.

It is poor policy to put the horse into the gallop before its education has been brought to the point described in the preceding pages. It is highly important that the horse should be taught a perfectly controlled gallop, one in which every form of collection may be observed and in which the rider may demand the lead with either side and the changes of lead with precision.

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The croup about the forehand, or reversed pirouette, prepares the horse for the movements on two paths, for wheels in the gallop, for the pirouette volte, and for the gallop changes, all of which are requisite in a thoroughly trained saddle-horse, when the rider aspires to have mastery over every movement of the animal.

To make the horse perform the reversed pirouette, the rider should bring it in hand in place. Then, bending its head slightly to one side, say the right, he should apply his left leg to the flank and make the horse carry the croup to the right, about the left fore leg as a pivot, the bridle-hand keeping the forehand in place, the heel of the rider demanding each step, the right leg of the rider controlling the effects of his left leg. In croup about forehand to the left, the head of the horse should be bent slightly to the left, the right fore leg of the horse acts as pivot, while the rider's right leg induces the hind quarters to be carried to the left around the turning-point.

In the work upon two paths the body of the horse should be placed diagonally across the line of progress, the forehand slightly in advance of the croup, the head of the horse bent in the direction of the movement. In going to the right, the head of the horse will be bent to the right and the forehand be led along one path, while the rider's heels carry the croup along a parallel path, the effects of the acting or left heel being measured and controlled by the rider's right heel, the forehand about two feet in advance of the croup. In passing upon two paths to the left, the head of the horse will be bent to the left, the forehand being led to the left, and the rider's right leg, its effects measured by the left, will carry the croup upon a parallel path, so that the body of the horse shall be diagonally disposed across the line of progress.

In coming to a turn or on a circle, the croup will be slightly retarded, so that the diagonal position shall be observed everywhere on the arc or the circumference, if the forehand be following the longer outer path. But if in turns or circles the croup be following the outer longer path, the forehand will be retarded so that everywhere on the arc or the circumference the diagonal position of the mass shall be observed.

The horse should be ridden on two paths in straight lines, in turns, and in large and small circles, sometimes the forehand on the outer circumferences, sometimes the croup following the longer paths, in the walk, in the slow trot, and in the united trot.

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