On Seats and Saddles, Bits and Bitting, and the Prevention and Cure Of

W'? .-^: .-vr -:-'V ^... -..•;""r: <;'--^<^ X " 3^y *X -"r , «.» V* "V. J-^ <v * ^ '^-1 / { '< TUFTS UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES 3 9090 014 550 442 Webster Family Library of Veterinary MedWne Cummings School of Veterinary Medioneat Tufts University 200 Westt)oro Road north Qfafton, MA 0isa6 ON Seats and Saddles BITS AND BITTING AND THE PREVENTION AND CURE OF RESTIVENESS IN HORSES. BY FRANCIS DWYER MAJOR OF HUSSARS IN THE IMPERIAL AUSTRIAN SERVICE. " Vis consili expers mole ruit sua." — Horace, Carmin., Lib. III. Ode iv. NEW YORK: JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY, 150 Worth Street. W0^ TO HIS SERENE HIGHNESS FRANCES PAUL CHARLES LOUIS ALEXANDER. PRINCE OF TECK, Major of Hussars in the Imperial Atistrian Service, THIS BOOK IS BY PERMISSION DEDICATED, IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MANY KINDNESSES SHOWN TO HIS SERENE HIGHNESS*S MOST OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE AUTHOR. I ON Seats and Saddles BITS AND BITTING ETC. —— CONTENTS. I INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. PAGB Various styles of riding a consequence of various kinds of in- ducements to ride —Natural riders and instructive riders There is great waste of horse-flesh and premature destruction of the animal's legs where bad methods are followed, or where no method at all exists—English civilian riders use up an enormous quantity of horse-flesh—Some foreign cavalry ser- vices do the same—The causes are generally false distribu- tion of the weight to be carried—The horse's skeleton is the framework of the machine we employ as a bearer—In order to adjust the burden to this, some knowledge of the machine is required, as also of the saddle by means of which that burden is placed and retained on the horse's back—The seat is the way in which the rider adjusts his own weight through the intermedium of the saddle to the horse—Varieties of seats to suit various purposes—The bit is the instrument by which the rider's will is transmitted to the horse ; it is a lever which, if accurately adapted, will be of great assistance and value to the rider ; if unfitted in shape, size, etc., it is not only useless, but often dangerous—Restiveness in horses most usually the consequence of injudicious treatment of some kind or other To prevent or cure restiveness requires a knowledge of the methods employed for breaking in or handling horses, conse- quently also of the method in which the weight of the rider should be brought to bear, and also how such horses should be bitted 15-28 7 Co?i tents. PART I. SEATS AND SADDLES. CHAPTER I. the framework of the horse considered from a mp:chanical point of view. PAGB The four legs are the supports of the spinal column which bears the burden directly—There is one portion of the spinal column round which all the others move : this is the centre of motion of the horse—The head and neck project beyond the basis on which the animal stands ; the position of the centre of gravity modified by this—The horse's fore legs are, more particularly, bearers, the hind ones propellers—The action of the horse will depend on the relative positions of these two centres, which will be shown by the hoof- tracks, and is also easily recognizable by the ear—The relative positions of the two centres of gravity and motion may be adjusted as the nature of the service demanded requires, by simply altering the position of the head and neck ; and this is equally true whether the horse be in motion or at rest 31-54 CHAPTER II. THE SADDLE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE SEAT. The saddle should be adjusted to whatever seat may be adopted for a particular purpose, and not vice versd the seat to the saddle—Its size should be proportioned to the weight it will have to support: its shape should be adapted, on the one hand, to the horse's back ; on the other, to the rider's seat and legs—The weight should be so placed as to press equally over the whole under surface of the saddle ; there must be no lever action : all of which is best attained by making the seat central, placing the girths also in the centre of the saddle, and, finally, the stirrups as near this point as can be con- veniently done—For military purposes, blankets in some — Contents. 9 PAGB respects preferable to feltplates under the saddle — The crupper is utterly useless—The breastplate is unobjection- able 55-71 CHAPTER IIL SEATS. The seat on horseback is maintained by balance, by friction or by the aid of the stirrups—A combination of all these means affords the greatest security—The more perfect the balance the less will be the quantity of muscular action required to maintain the seat ; the closer the seat to the saddle and the greater the surfaces brought into contact, the more easily will the balance be maintained ; the nearer the point of sus- pension of the stirrup to the seat, the less will balance and friction be disturbed, and the more will the stirrup act in support of these, how or wherever the rider may otherwise sit—To have a good seat, his weight must be distributed equally between the three bones forming the triangle of his fork, and not on any two of these, or on the third alone It is better to commence riding with stirrups than without The jockey's saddle and seat—The hunting seat—Road- riding—Rising in the stirrups versus bobbing up and down —What is the object of both 72-93 CHAPTER IV. THE MILITARY SEAT. This is more easily reducible to rule than any other, the object being alike in all cases, and the material selected with refer- ence to that special purpose—The cavalry seat must facili- tate not only the mere progressive power of the horse, but also such a degree of handiness as will ensure to its rider a perfect command over his weapons, and, in addition to all this, secure for the troop-horse the longest possible period of service—These latter objects are but too frequently sacri- ficed in favor of mere vehemence of movement ; they are only to be attained by very careful saddling, bitting, and a — — lO Contents. TAGS correct seat or method of riding—Weight carried by some cavalry horses compared with that carried by hunters and racers—Average daily work of a man carrying a burden compared with that of a horse under various circumstances and at various degrees of speed 94-108 PART II. BITS AND BITTING. CHAPTER I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES. Vulgar idea of hard and soft-mouthed horses—The horse's head and neck levers, by means of which the animal's body may be steered like a boat by the tiller— Baucher's ideas of the position of the head and neck—Rational handling contrasted with ordinary horse-breaking— Bitting must be suited to style of riding—Value of good and careful bitting in the handhng of young horses, and the prevention of restiveness —Its great importance for cavalry 11 1-122 CHAPTER II. THE NECK—THE HEAD—THE MOUTH THE TONGUE—CARRIAGE —FEELING. Varieties of shapes, etc., of horses' necks—Influence of this on direction of pull of reins—Influence of military pack on the same—Ditto of shape of horse's head and mode in which it is set on neck—The head considered as a lever—Horses that poke out their noses or bend their necks too much—Width between jaws — Glands situated here — Conformation of horse's chin, nose, lips, chin-groove, externally ; of mouth and tongue internally—Average dimensions of some parts of horses' mouths—The tongue-channel—Carriage of horse's head and neck must be suited to kind of work demanded Carriage for military purposes, for racing, for hunting, for road-riding 123- 145 ——— —I Contents, X CHAPTER III. THE CAVESSON—SNAFFLE—NOSEBAND—TRAINING-HALTER RUNNING-REINS. PAGB The snaffle the simplest and best of all forms of bit—Requires good, steady seat—Various forms of snaffle—Their relative value—The noseband, its use—Difficulties about it Von Oeynhausen's training-halter—Where the snaffle should be put in the horse's mouth—Martingals—Seeger's running- reins 146-157 CHAPTER IV. THE LEVER—THE BIT AND CURB—THE BRIDLE. With a plain snaffle there is no lever power—Orders of levers Lever of second order gives the action required for a bit The curb— should not exert the slightest degree of painful action "Whatever maybe required of this should be exerted by mouthpiece, the less the better—Consequences of curb producing a greater amount of painful action than mouthpiece—Length of the bars of bit, whence measured—Line of bearing—Length of upper bar of bit—A bit '* falls through" or stands stiff: why?— Effects of both—Angle at which reins should act on bit—Dimensions of lower bar of bit—Curb, length of—Position for mouthpiece in horse's mouth Best form of curb—Curb-hooks—Mouthpiece of bit—Port, use of—Rings on mouthpieces, their use—Jointed mouthpieces —Pelham—Dumpy-bit—Method of adjusting bit and bridle —The bridoon 158-ii CHAPTER V. TAKING MEASURE FOR THE BIT—THE MOUTH-GAUGE THE TRIAL-BIT. Description of these instruments and methods of using them 190 196 — 12 Co7itents* PART III. RESTIVENESS : ITS PREVENTION AND CURE. CHAPTER I. HOW TO RENDER HORSES OBEDIENT. PACK Disobedience or restiveness not to be confounded with vice A horse is stronger than a man ; therefore nothing is to be done by mere brute force—Usual cause of insubordination is injudicious treatment—Character of the horse—English method of training or handling young horses—Continental or school methods—Advantages or disadvantages of these two; their description; how they may be best made appli- cable to the prevention and cure of restiveness 199-220 CHAPTER II.

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