Bits Used in Educating Horses Addicted to Bad Habits
No. 1. To prevent a Horse getting his Tongue over the Bit.—Take a piece of leather, say three inches long, an inch and a half wide, and drill two holes in a straight bit; now rivet this leather on the top of the bit, after which sprinkle on the upper side some pulverized rosin, and take a hot iron and pass over it so as to form a coating. Allow your horse to wear this bit say six or eight days when driving, and he will by that time be sufficiently taught to abandon the habit.
No. 2. Lolling the Tongue.—Take an ordinary straight bit of five-eighths of an inch in diameter and drill two holes, each one three-quarters of an inch from the center; then get a piece of very small chain, attach iron bullets, about the size of ordinary leaden bullets used in guns, suspend them not more than one and a half inches from the bit. Now use the bit, every time you drive your horse, for ten days.
No. 3. Cure a Horse of Sucking Wind.—A horse that has acquired the habit of sucking wind is truly to be detested, as it is oftentimes attended with fatal results, and when once thoroughly settled, great difficulty has been experienced in removing the habit. The method I have introduced of treating this habit has proved successful in most cases.
Take a piece of small gas-pipe, say from five-eighths to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, the ordinary length of a bit, heat it and circle it a little, then drill on the upper side equal distances apart from each end, as seen in engraving; also drill three holes on the under side, making each hole between an eighth and a quarter of an inch in diameter, and attach a ring near each end and allow your horse to wear this when driving, say for at least from ten to twenty days or until the habit is removed.
No. 4. To cure a Side-Reiner, one that Pulls heavily on one Rein.—Take a plain, jointed bit, remove one-half of the part used in the mouth and supply a small chain from the side ring to the center joint, now on the side that the animal pulls place the chain; he is not only attracted by the strange sensation in the mouth, but when pulled on the chain side receives such severe and unexpected punishment that he will quickly give up his habit.
No. 5. Dead-Mouth or Jaw Bit.—This bit may be used on horses that pull very much on the reins, and a lady may with safety drive a horse, as she can control him quite easily.
The attachment to this bit is made as follows: Take two pieces of leather about three inches in diameter, make a hole in the center of each to admit of the bit, cut the leather so as to put pieces on after, sew up slit, attach two billets on under side with buckle, then buckle on under jaw. This bit may be used without a head-stall.