Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-11-01
Care flo the Horses MOUTH.

Inc NOUN OF Cne morse can DE so treated Dy
the driver that it sensitive to the touch and the
horse yields promptly and pleasantly to the
guidance Of the rider or driver On the other
hand, the mouth may be so abused as that the
driver must guide him by main strength and
pure awkwardnesS.
There is no one feature in a driving horse that
so much gives character to him as the mouth.
The horse may have good wind and action, but
If he "has no mouth, he is an unpleasant brute
to handle. On the other hand, If his mouth has
Juggling at the bit, the driver finds about as
much pleasure in riding behind him as after
mule or an OK. Tofully enjoy drive there must
be sympathy between the driver and the horse.
man of heavy hand and temperament has no
business driving the horse which has been driven
by one OF gentle and steady hand, yet of quick
the well-bred horse and such driver there Is a
bond of sympathy that makes driving delight
to both. The horse loves the driver and The
driver the horse. The highest results must be
had from such a happy combination Of driver
and team. They work with harmony Of feeling
and OF action. Thousands OF horses are ruined
by the abuse of their mouths.
Irritable, rough men often punish their horses
by jerking them with the line. The whip Is not
half so cruel an instrument as the bit when
handled by british man. We have seen brutes,
called men, jerk the mouth Of the horse with all
the venom and force at his command, not be-
cause the horse deserved 1t, but because the man
was fool, and could better serve his country
with ball and chain at his leg than with a rein
or line in his hand.
Intraining young horses there should be great
care and good Judgment In Suiting the bit to the
mouth OF the horse. The thoughtful driver will
soon perceive the nature of the mouth he Is
handling, and if he knows anything of his busi-
ness he knows that he can in short time make
or ruin the mouth.
We have bought horses on which the former
owners had always used twisted wire or cav
airy bits, or some severe bit, but on full acquain-
lance with our horses we have found none that
the mild bit was not best suited to. We have q
valuable animal whose mouth is naturally one OF
wi hnp npn nnh1
temperament; but she had been used in double
team before she came into our hands. Her
mouth is good on one side, and the other is cal
loused, and has nervousness there which makes
her want to feel heavy pressure continually on
that side Of the mouth.
This evil came from the fashion Of spreading
horses as wide apart as checks will allow. The
result u.s. the pressure on the OuSide of the mouth
Is direct and constant, and when the lines have
ben Stacked and then drawn taut there Is heavy
pressure and friction on the outside, while the
inner side has barely felt the pressure of the
checks acting on the hame-rings, and at such an
angle as to relieve the mouth from the majority
OF The pressure ON that SIDE
This Is a common evil, and can be avoided by
not spreading horses SO far apart and by not
working the horse more than day or two on the
same side. By changing the horses from near to
off and Off to near the evil can be avoided. and
horses Will drive all the better for 1t. Young
horses taught to change places in this way will
keep even ana good mouths and Will not b,
On the farm it is especially desirable that the
mouths OF the horses be kept in good condition
The single line horse should have an even good
mouth, and this he cannot have II much used to
the double team. always on the same side. and
spread wide apart.
This fashion Of drivers spreading their horses
SO their heads and shoulders are foot or two
wider apart than the traces will allow their hin(
parts is not founded on reason. The horse should
move in direct line, and not sideways, like
hog going to war. Horses spread so far apart
work at mechanical disadvantage, and are liable
to strains and Sweeny from unequal pressure on
the shoulders, and to crown all THIS folly the
mouths OF the team will be One-Sided, that is,
not evenly developed by the equal pressure OF the
bit, as it should be and might be with proper
care.-ICfncfnndt Enquirer.