Miscellaneous - Page 3 - horsefaq.com

Chain snaffle. The mouthpiece is a chain. It is severe and not to be recommended.
Waterford. A chain with double loops. It is slightly less severe than the chain snaffle.
Gag snaffle. A running rein passing through the rings. It is used with a double bridle for raising the head.
Key snaffle. A mouthpiece with loose pieces on it (like a bunch of keys) for mouthing young horses.
Gridiron port snaffle. A long piece like a gridiron is fixed to the mouthpiece for keeping the tongue under the bit. Not a satisfactory form of snaffle.

PELHAMS

Definition. A pelham is a bit with a single mouthpiece and cheek-pieces, with curb, used with two reins, The advantage of it is that there is less in the horse's mouth. The disadvantage is that the horse has less to play with.

Half-moon pelham,. A plain mouthpiece slightly curved The easiest bit of all.
3 in 1. A bit supported on two cheek rings. The advantage of it is that direct pressure can be exerted on the curb chain.
9th Lancer. The mouthpiece rests on two snaffle rings, and the cheek-pieces have two slots in them. The advantage, to enable the bit to be made mild or severe as necessary.
Hanoverian. The cheek-piece is bent and the mouthpiece has a jointed port with revolving rings on each side. (Severe and not recommended.)
Mowhauk. The cheek-piece is fixed and is a straight bar. Alone it is a detachable additional mouthpiece covered with rubber rings. (Severe and not recommended.)
Banbury. Can be used as either a double bridle or a pelham. It consists of a revolving and sliding mouthpiece slightly curved in the centre. (Severe and not recommended.)
Hackamore. An American contrivance enabling the rider to control the horse with nothing in its mouth.

DOUBLE BRIDLES

A double bridle consists of a snaffle and a fixed bit, and is the most usual form of bridle. A ward union has a sliding mouthpiece with a short cheek. It is the bit most recommended by the writer. NOTE.- A Port is the curve given to most mouthpieces. They can have a high port, shaped like a U, or a low port, which is only a gentle curve. The object of this is not, as many people suppose, to press upon the roof of the mouth, but to make it more or less difficult for the horse to press his tongue against the mouthpiece.

MARTINGALES

As there seems often to be divergence of opinion about martingales, a few words on the subject may not be out of place here. There are three kinds of martingale: The running, The standing, The Irish. The running martingale is a neck strap which, looped at one end round the girth, ends in two rings through which are passed either the snaffle reins or the bit reins. Which is best? Many riders advocate the snaffle, which has the advantage of dispensing with the rather unsightly 'stops'; while on a horse that has to be led,

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