The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-12-12
a@Ome and farm,
The Horse Bit.

The Horse Bit.
rFrorn tie New quarterly Magazine
The question OF the bi', aud Of l. {
hand that , ules the biz, EndeTlies tue
consideration Of the whole subjec: oI
mans dominion over the horse. The
intelligence OF mankind has hitherto
invented but twO principal forms o.
bit; TIE snsfile, The simple piece q
iron which lies across the mouth, cub.
ject t. endless notifications, such is
being twisted, jointed, and 50 forth
and the curb bit, more powerful i'm
plement, which has likewise under
gone innumerable variations. The
curb bit is an adoption Of the principle
OF the lever, and the lengtheniBg Of
the check piece allows very power
ful pressure to be exercised upon the
Jaw OF the horse. The snsfil is, 30 10
say, a natural bit, and the curb an ar
ti6cial one. The snsffie was used by
our ancestors and by the ancient
Greeks; the curb is an Asia'ic iDyeD
ton, and was probably brought into
Europe with the Moors. In the famous
mosaic fou-d at Pcmpeii, representing,
as is supposed. battle between the
Greeks aud Persians, and which, at
any rate, is the picture OF abattie be
tween Europeans and Asiatics, the
Eastern horsemen ride with curbs, and
the Europeans with sraffies The diff
ference Ia the bit modiGes the whole 1
style OF riding; and rs there are two
sorts CT bits, so are there two quite
different styles or schools of horse
msnship, which may be called the
Eastern and Western styles. The /
type Of the Eastern is best seen in the
modern Bedouin Arab, with his short
stirrups, peaked saddle, and severe
bit; and the Western type in its sim
plest f5rm is beautifully exempliied in
the Elgin marbles, where naked men
bestride bare backed horses. To ride
after this fashion is an athletic exer-
else; the strength of the man is set
against the strength of the horse, with
little adventitious aid. The rider re-
strains the horses impetuosity by tie
sheer force OF his arm, and he main
tains seat on his back by exercising
the muscles of his legs, 1t is the
equitition of athletes and of heroes;
but it is clear that the balanced seat
OF the Arab, and the more complete :
command over his horse which follows
from the greater security OF his seat.
would make him infinitely more form :.
liable in war than the European, in :,
spite of the superior size and strength
Of the latter. History teaches us how !
.he cavalry of the Saracens-small
men on small horses-rode down the
Christian horsemen till they learned -
o ride with the bits and saddles OF r
he Moslem cavalry. The invention =
Of the curb bit Recesatated the stir =
up. for a man sitting upon a bare
packed horse is forced to bear, at
.imes, more or less heavily upon the
oridle; and if, so riding, he were using of
/ curb bit, and he were TO lean any mr.
part of his body upon it, his horse IN
would stop, or would rear, or would re
Inch. The ancient Greeks aud Ro- n,
nsns are believed not 10 have known W
he use of stirrups. They are, indeed er
aid not to have been discovered till v,
he fifth century of our era. This, il W
t is true, would only apply to Europe fir,
n the East they were used many w,
:enturies before. The earliest repre- nm
Of one 1 know is IN the above 4,
mentioned mosaic, where the horse Of g.,
dismounted trooper in Oriental cos tr
ume is drawn with clearly Indicated
tirrups; the Greek horsemen in the W
Mosaic are without them. oI