S6 



The Couutry Gaitlcvia:is I)Iagaziiic 



by a pull upon the safety-reins. TheJie are 

 attached to the check-strap, passed up through 

 the bearing or check-rein swivels (the rein 

 being removed) and joining the direct reins 

 at the saddle or names rings : from this point 

 they pass back to the hands, thro7igh the 

 centre of the round driving-reins, and termi- 

 nate in loops and straps. While driving with 

 two hands, the loops may be held by passing 

 the fore-fingers loosely through them, and when 

 the driver wishes to use only one hand to 

 drive, the straps of the safet3^-reins hang dov.-n 

 in front of his knuckles, and may be seized 

 by the whip-hand at any instant that he wishes 

 to apply their latent power. The safety-reins 

 are not borne upon at all in ordinary driving. 



We ha^'e tried them somewhat our:^elves, and 

 have placed them in the hands of several ex- 

 perienced horsemen, who agree in their good 

 opinion of them. 'Atalanta' is a rather 

 famous trotting mare owned in this neiglv 

 bourhood, so hard-mouthed as to be entirely 

 unmanageable with common reins and bits : 

 with the safety-bridle she was driven not onl)- 

 v/ith safety, but with ease, and, in her horse 

 way, owned ' beat ' for the first time in her 

 life. 



In Lancaster county, where the reins 

 have been in use a year or two, we learn 

 that they are regarded with high favour, 

 ladies and children driving horses considered 

 entirely unsafe before tliey were applied." 



TFIE NEU'MINSTER CASE. 



Ey rvir Joseph Gajigee, V.S. lulinburgh. 



ON the 15th of August, UdPs Life, 

 under the heading, "Tufts of Turf 

 and Stray Views," says, in reference to dis- 

 tinguished stallions, that Newminster " is as 

 good a horse at the end as he was in his best 

 day;" and the sporting correspondent of the 

 Illustrated London Neivs for 2 2d August, who 

 had called at Rawcliffe, and had seen New- 

 minster on the occasion of the York meeting 

 and Fairfield yearling sales, says : — " The old 

 horse, who has been the stay of Rawcliffe for 

 some ten or a dozen seasons, is ver}' much 

 wasted, but nearly a score of foals by him are 

 expected next year. Fever in the feet has 

 been his great bane, but he is able to walk 

 out into the paddock when the humour takes 

 him." The fact of Newminster being in any 

 state of usefulness, or even alive, is due to 

 his having accidentally come under my treat- 

 ment for three months in the early part of 

 last winter. I may regret that this statement 

 should have to come from myself, but so im- 

 portant a case ought to be made public, as it 

 is by such means that knowledge progresses. 

 The facts of the case are the following : — On 



the 9th October 1867, I went to Eav/clifte 

 on business, and, having seen the horses on 

 sale, asked Mr Martin to allow me to see 

 Newminster; he replied with a sigh, "You 

 will only see the Avreck of the old horse." 

 Accompanied by the head groom, I drove to 

 Newminster's paddock, and on entering his 

 box I found the man, who had just got him 

 up, standing by his side. The horse shewed 

 symptoms of great agony and prostration, 

 and was standing with his hind legs drawn 

 under his body in order to support his weight, 

 the seat of pain being in his fore feet. The 

 horse vv'as reeking with perspiration, and 

 bleeding sores were conspicuous on all the 

 prominent parts of his body — the effects of 

 lying and struggling in his box — viz., on the 

 sides of his head, shoulders, hips, knees, 

 hocks, and fetlock joints. On attempting to 

 examine his fore feet, I found that to be im- 

 possible, until he was allowed to lie down 

 again, when I perceived descent of the soles 

 of both fore feet, protrusion of the coffin 

 bones, Vv'hich Avere in an advanced state of 

 ulceration, discharging, and extremely fetid. 



