Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Oreae

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

O'REAE (χαλινός). A snaffle bit; for riding and draught horses. (Titinnius, Naevius, Cato, and Coelius ap. Fest. s. v.) The curb bit, as used by us, in which a chain is pressed against the under lip and jaw by the leverage of branches, was unknown to the ancients, amongst whom the most approved bits were constructed with great regard to the tenderness of the animal's mouth, being formed with easy supple joints, so that its action was elastic, like that of a chain, and the substance thick, in order that it might bear with less severity upon the parts, by distributing its surface more extensively over them. (Xen. Eq. x. 6. seqq.) All these properties are exhibited in the annexed example (Oreae/1.1), from an original of bronze, which is made to bend in joints, and is furnished with a circular revolver, midway between the centre and bridle ring on each side, which induced the animal to keep his tongue and mouth in motion.

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