38 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



stops. But all the modes named are liable to the objections of complexity or uncertainty. 



The mode adopted by Mr. Holwell is to furnish the 

 bridle with a good curbing bit, the driving rein being 

 attached at the lower part of the bit, as is seen at b in 

 the annexed figure ; a is a short piece of elastic mate- 

 rial connected with the driving rein and the central eye 

 of the bit. When the horse is passive, this elastic con- 

 nection is sufficient to drive him in the usual manner, 

 and the pordon of the rein b remains slack, so that the 

 curb is not applied. But when the horse is spirited, 

 or becomes frightened, or attempts to run, all that is 

 necessary is to pull tightly on the rein, as people always 

 do in such cases, when the elastic piece a stretches and 

 brings up b ; so that the curb operates effectually in the 



horse's mouth and brings him to a stand-still at once, provided that the bit is properly made. 



On the TTselessness of the Bearing Rein. 



FROM an article in a recent number of the Mark Lane Express, (England,) we make the 

 following extracts relative to the uselessness of the bearing rein, as applied to horses. It 

 says: 



On the Continent, the bearing rein is rarely used, and then only as a servile English imita- 

 tion ; but in horse-racing, hunting, horse-loving England, it must be confessed, its use is all 

 but universal. The folly of the practice was, some years ago, very ably shown by Sir Francis 

 Head, in his Bubbles by an Old Man, where he contrasted most unfavorably our English cus- 

 tom of tying tightly up, with the German one of tying loosely down, and both with the French 

 one of leaving the horse's head at liberty, (and a man of his shrewdness and observation, a 

 distinguished soldier, who has galloped across the South American pampas, and saw there 

 herds of untamed horses in all their native wildness and natural freedom, is no mean au- 

 thority.) Now, he has pointed out most clearly that, when a horse 'has real work to do, 

 whether slow work, as in our plows and carts, or quick, as in a fast gallop, or in headlong 

 flight across the plains of America, Nature tells him not to throw his head up and backwards 

 towards his tail, but forwards and downwards, so as to throw his weight into what he is called 

 upon to do. This is a fact within every one's observation. We have only to persuade the first 

 wagoner we see (he is sure to have all his horses tightly borne up) to undo his bearing reins, 

 when down will go every horse's head, so as to relieve the wearisome strain upon his muscles, 

 and give the weight of his body its due natural power of overcoming resistance ; and thus 

 each horse becomes enabled to d^his work as comfortably and easily as nature intended he 

 should dd ; for Nature never intended a heavy animal like a cart-horse to perform slow 

 work only or chiefly by strain of muscle, but, on the contrary, by the power of weight as 

 the rule, assisted by strength of muscle as the exception, when extra resistance has to be 

 overcome. 



Thus, when we curb up a horse's head with our senseless bearing reins, and make him as 

 ewe-necked as we appear to do, we are inverting the rule and order of nature ; we are evi- 

 dently trying to prevent his using the full, unrestrained power of his weight, and are com- 

 pelling him to overstrain and over-exert constantly those very muscles which should be kept 

 in reserve for extra difficulties such as greater inequalities of the road, new-laid stones, &c. 

 It is a mistake to think it improves a horse's appearance ; nothing contrary to nature can 

 ever really do this. It is a mistake to think it can ever prevent a horse's falling down, though 

 it has been the means of preventing many an old one recovering from a stumble. But until 

 our horse-owners be taught to look at this matter in its true light the light of common 

 sense it is in vain to hope for any mitigation of this but too-universal cruelty. 



