BARS
—are the fleshy ridges at the upper part of a horse's mouth. These ridges are always more prominent in young horses than in old. When they are luxuriant towards the front teeth, and, with a kind of elastic puffiness, project and prevent mastication, they are called Lampas, (which see.) In all cases of emergency where bleeding is necessary, and the apparatus not at hand, particularly in the night, an incision or two across the bars with the fleam, instantly answers the purpose, and prevents farther ceremony.
BAT FOWLING
—is a favorite sport with farmer's servants on a winter's evening, and can only be enjoyed with a degree of success proportioned by the darkness of the night. The party should not consist of less than four; two of whom are provided with long flimsey hazel sticks or hurdle rods; the third carries and manages the flap, (or folding net;) and the fourth a candle and lanthorn, suspended to the end of a pole seven or eight feet long. Upon the net being spread, by separating the side rods to their utmost extent, before the corn-rick, out-houses, eaves of stable thatch, yew hedge, or whatever spot it is intended to try, the candle and lanthorn is then to be held up as nearly the centre of the net as possible, but at about three or four feet distance, just before the assistants begin to beat the rick, thatch, or hedge, with their poles; when the birds being thus suddenly alarmed from their resting-place, make instantly for the light, when the net being directly closed (if by a skilful practitioner) the success is beyond description; it being no uncommon thing, in large remote farms, and in severe winters, to take twenty or thirty dozen of sparrows, and other small birds, in one evening's diversion.
BATTLE ROYAL
—was formerly (much more than at present) a favorite mode of fighting amongst COCKERS of the lower order, who, upon the old maxim of "the more danger the more honor," became practical advocates for general destruction in the following way. A battle royal may consist of any number of cocks, but is hardly ever known to exceed eight. The owner of each having made good his stake, or previously contributed his share of the prize or purse for which they fight, and all parties being ready, the cocks are most inhumanly pitted at the same moment, when a long and distressing scene ensues, to which there is no termination so long as a second cock is left alive, and the victory can only be obtained by the last survivor. This species of sport is but little practised now, and that in the most distant and remote corners of the kingdom.
BAY
—the colour of a horse so called, and is the most esteemed of any other in constituting the beauty of the horse. They have invariably black manes and tails, are many shades lighter than a brown horse, and were originally called bay from their affinity to the leaf of the bay tree. There are, however, some degrees of difference and variations in those so termed: for instance, there is the light or yellow bay, the brown bay, and the mottled bay. Bay horses with black legs have the preference of all other colours, and now almost wholly constitute the racing breed of this country.
BAY
—is a sporting term, and used in the following sense. When a stag has been so long pursued that, finding his speed or strength nearly exhausted, he turns round, (having some protection of building or paling in his rear,) and facing the hounds, resolutely defends himself with his antlers, keeping the hounds at bay, till the sportsmen come up, who immediately assist in drawing off the hounds, and saving the life of the deer. When the deer takes soil, (that is, takes to the water,) he will defend himself, and keep the hounds a long time at bay, provided he fathoms the lake or river so well as to keep the hounds swimming, and not go out of his own depth; if he loses which, and is obliged to swim at the time he is up, (in other words, quite tired,) and surrounded by the hounds, he is inevitably drowned by his numerous and determined foes, in opposition to every exertion that can be made to save him.