BIT

BIT, or BITT, an essential part of a bridle. Its kinds are various. 1. The musrol, snaffle, or watering-bit. 2. The canon-mouth, jointed in the middle. 3. The canon with a fast mouth, all of a piece, only kneed in the middle, to form a liberty or space for the tongue; fit for horses too sensible, or ticklish, and liable to be continually bearing on the hand. 4. The canon-mouth, with the liberty in form of a pigeon's neck; proper where a horse has too large a tongue. 5. The canon with a port mouth, and an upset or mounting liberty; used where a horse has a good mouth, but large tongue. 6. The scotch-mouth, with an upset; ruder but more secure than a canon-mouth. 7. The canon-mouth with a liberty; proper for a horse with a large tongue, and round bars. 8. The masticadour, or flavering-bit, &c. The several parts of a snaffle, or curb-bit, are the mouth piece, the cheeks and eyes, guard of the cheek, head of the cheeks, the port, the welts, the campanel or curb and hook, the bosses, the bolsters and rabbits, the water-chains, the side-bolts,

bolts, and rings, kirbles of the bit or curb, trench, top-rol, flap, and jeive. The importation of bits for bridles is now prohibited.