Harness and Harnessing. 



735 



excited and difficult to manage. It is therefore necessary that the 

 back-band and check-rein be so adjusted that the saddle is in the proper 

 place on the back and the crupper fits snugly under the tail; then there 

 will be no trouble from sore back or sore tail. 



Hold-back and backer 



When there is much backing to be done or in sections that are moun- 

 tainous or hilly, the hold-back and backer assume much importance. 

 Usually very little attention is paid to the hold-back and backer, yet 

 their absence frequently results in sore necks and sore backs among 

 work horses. A great variety of hold-backs and backers is on the market, 

 and they can all be divided into four general classes, namely, shaft- 

 back, collar-back, 

 under-back and side- 

 back. The breeching 

 is used with each of 

 these except the col- 

 lar-back and with this 

 there need be no 

 breeching on the har- 

 ness. 



The shaft-back is 

 used only with single 

 rigs. With this backer 

 the breeching is at- 

 tached directly to the 

 shaft by means of the 

 hold-back straps. 

 After the breeching is 



properly adjusted the main point to be noted is that the hold-back 

 straps are of the proper length. If too short they draw the horse for- 

 ward and interfere with his action, whereas, if too loose, the rig will 

 have a jerky motion and be annoying to the animal. 



The collar-back is intended only for light rigs. With this the backing 

 is done largely by the neck. Sometimes a martingale-band passing from 

 the lower end of the collar between the fore limbs to the belly-band 

 is used and a part of the backing is accomplished by pulling down on 

 the back-band. One reason for the popularity of this backer is that 

 no breeching is needed and it is becoming a fad among owners of light 

 harness horses to discard the breeching. As a result, this backer is 



Fk;. 43 — Illusiration shoiving shaft-back 



