Curb rein

“ And, again, in a long run, when a horse has been severely called on, he may make a blunder on landing from a drop in a bit of boggy ground, in which case the curb rein is necessary in aid of the snaffle. ”

“ In mounting, the horse should always be approached quietly on the near (or left) side, and the reins taken up steadily. The snaffle (or bridoon) rein first, then pass this rein along the palm of the left hand, between the forefinger and thumb. The curb rein must now be drawn over the little finger, and both reins being held of an equal length, and [21] having an even pressure on the horse’s mouth, must be laid over each other, being held firmly in the hand, the thumb pressing hard upon them to prevent them slipping through the fingers. ”

“ Other horses, again, go better with a jointed curb, and old horses, whose mouths are so hard that they cannot be brought back to their original condition, may require the use of a heavy port or other device which will cause them pain when the curb rein is tightened. ”

“ A beginner is frequently puzzled to distinguish between the curb and the snaffle when riding with a double rein, and mistaking one for the other, or pulling equally at both, is apt to cause the horse much unnecessary irritation. It is lamentable to see the manner in which grown men and women, who ought to know so much better, tug and strain at their horses' mouths with an equal pull upon both reins, when riding, as is the custom, in a bit and bridoon. ”

“ Bridle reins should be soft, yet tough; so long, and no longer, so that by extending your arms you can shorten them to any desired length; then, if your horse pokes out his head, or extends himself in leaping, you can, if you hold the reins in each hand, as you ought, let them slip through your fingers, and shorten them in an instant by extending your arms. A very good sportsman of my acquaintance has tabs sewn on the curb-reins, which prevents them from slipping. This is a useful plan for ladies who ride or drive ”

“ There is another equally urgent reason for riding with double reins, viz., the continual use of the curb materially tends to deaden the sensitiveness of the horse’s mouth; from the constant and unavoidable drag upon the single rein, especially if tender-mouthed, he is made uneasy and fidgetty, causing him to throw his head about, and go extremely heavy in hand, and frequently rear or run back, to the very great danger and annoyance of his rider, particularly when happening in a crowded drive. ”

“ Successive steps to accustom the young horse to the curb bit.—In the first lessons in the double bridle, work should be begun on the snaffle bit. When the horse has settled down and is well in hand he can be ridden on the curb. It is to be remarked, and the remark is important, that bending lessons are never to be given in the early stages of work on the curb. For these lessons you must wait until the horse fearlessly accepts contact with the bit and tightens the curb reins as he formerly did the snaffle reins. ”

“ To stop, to back, to turn, or to advance, the reins must be managed in the same way as when one snaffle-rein alone is held in each hand. In all these various ways of holding the double bridle, the snaffle-reins should, as they pass upward from the bit, always be placed above those of the curb ”

“ Should you happen to be mounted upon a horse which, from bad handling or his own faulty conformation, is disposed to “bore,” or bear on his bit, you will ride with the curb, taking its reins in one hand, but in the other hand taking the snaffle, with the left rein drawn much tighter than the right. ”

“ When, from restlessness, a horse endeavors to break away, the curb-reins should be taken, one in each hand, and every time he attempts to run, a sharp pull should be made upon his mouth by means of these reins ”

“ When they want to go to the right, they pull the rein gently in this direction, giving at the same time a sort of back handed lash to the animal on the left. When they want to go to the left, they give two or three smart shakes to the right rein, touching at the same time the deer to which it belongs. The left rein has no other use than as a curb to the deer to which it is fastened. ”

“ The reins should be held in both hands, and after the horse has been collected with the curb, as may very likely be necessary, the curb should be relaxed, so that on approaching the leap he may feel only the gentle pressure of the snaffle, which will not make him fear to thrust forward his head, a fear which would possibly result in bringing him down on all fours at once, or even with the hind-feet first. ”

“ It should never be forgotten that in the rise during the leap, just previous to the spring, no efforts whatever must be made by the rider to support the horse, or to lift him, but instead, she should simply hold the reins so lightly that his mouth can just be felt, which is called "giving a free rein." If the reins be allowed to hang too loosely they may catch upon some object not noticed by the rider, and not only be wrenched from her hands, but also give the horse's mouth a severe jerk, or perhaps throw him upon the ground. ”

“ It is a habit with many lady riders, as well as with multitudes of horsemen, to make the turn by carrying the bridle-hand in the direction of the turn, thus pressing the outward rein, or the one opposite to the direction of the turn, against the horse's neck,—the inward rein being completely slackened. ”

“ Curb is an enlargement at the back of the hock, about three or four inches below the point of the hock. It is either a strain in the ring-like ligament which binds the tendons down in their place, or in the sheath of the tendons; oftener, we are inclined to think, of the ligament than of the sheath. Any sudden action of the limb of more than usual violence may produce it, and therefore horses are found to ‘throw out curbs’ after a hardly contested race, an extraordinary leap, a severe gallop over heavy ground, or a sudden check in the gallop. ”

“ In these introductory lessons the main use of the assistant with his loose yet ready leading rein is to prevent the colt from turning suddenly round and facing the trainer, a contretemps with a Galvayne's tackle next to impossible. Reins should not, however, be tried at all till the lessons in the loose box and in the stall are so well learnt that there is little or no fear of sudden fright, ebullitions of temper, or other causes of disarrangement and entanglement of the long driving reins. ”

“ Where head to haunches is a willful defense, it is best to call in the services of a professional rider, letting him know to which side the turn is made. Some masters advocate using a standing short rein, fastened at the stirrup strap, on the side opposite to the twist. I am against such a proceeding; because, although the fixed rein will undoubtedly prevent the defense, it will at the same time hinder the horse from turning its head to the opposite side for the purpose of seeing and avoiding obstacles in the road. ”

“ There are many horses with good mouths, so far that they can be stopped easily with a plain snaffle, and yet require a curb-bit, to make them carry their heads in the right place, and this they often seem to do from the mere hint of the curb-chain dangling against their chins, without the rider being obliged to pull at the reins with any perceptible force. ”

“ She swung the pony with a touch of the rein and set him instantly at the canter. It was rough going, but she took it almost blindly.
From the lip of the gulch she swung abruptly to the right. Her horse stumbled and went down just as a bullet flew over her head. Before she was free of the stirrups strong hands pinned her shoulders to the ground. She heard a glad startled cry. The rough hands became immediately gentle. Then things grew black. The last she remembered was that the mountains were dancing up and down in an odd fashion.
Her eyes opened to see Curly. ”

“ CURB
—is a callous enlargement, approaching ossification, and is situate at the lower junction of the bones, at the hind part of the hock, originally attended with stiffness, and lastly with lameness and pain. Curbs are evidently produced by kicks, blows, sudden turns or twists, riding too hard (or drawing too much weight) up hill: they should be attended to on their first appearance, when they soon submit to the usual modes adopted for extirpation. Mild blistering frequently succeeds, particularly where the operation is twice performed ”

“ As it is the disposition of a horse, when mounted, to go fast, and as it is the disposition of a man to pull at any thing in this world as little as possible, curb-bits and curb-chains (as their names truly denote) have been invented, by which the animal in all his movements on parade or on the road is slightly thrown on his haunches, with his head raised more or less above its natural level. ”