TRAINING FOR DRAUGHT. 259 



new spell. The horses seem to like it themselves, and 

 to nnderstand perfectly its object. 



There are two parts of the harness which may, if 

 carelessly or awkwardly used, prove serious obstacles 

 to the training of a young horse — one of these is the 

 crupper, the other the bearing-rein. This latter should 

 be laid aside altogether with young horses at the first 

 trial; if judiciously used, subsequently it may be of 

 good service in getting the horse's head into the proper 

 position, and making it light in the hand by dividing 

 the pressure over two mouthpieces instead of one ; and 

 this is its legitimate use, and not, as too often happens, 

 the tying up the head and neck till the horse's action 

 is more up and down than forwards. Short-necked 

 horses with ill-set-on heads are those that require most 

 caution in the use of the bearing-rein, and these are 

 precisely the sort of animals that one is naturally 

 tempted to try it on. 



Since the above appeared in the 2nd edition of this 

 book, we have had a great " bearing-rein total abolition 

 movement," which at one time threatened to assume 

 the most formidable dimensions, and, at all events, at- 

 tained the dignity of being submitted, at least once^ to 

 the presiding magistrate of a London police court for 

 his supreme decision. This seems to be a case of what 

 the Germans call " emptying out ^the child with the 

 water of the bath." It would be quite as reasonable 

 to ordain that, because tall hats are ugly and uncom- 

 fortable we should all of us go about like the boys of 

 Christ's Hospital ; or that because extravagantly high- 

 heeled boots produce corns and render graceful move- 

 ments an almost impossibility, ladies should be com- 

 pelled to walk barefooted, as to maintain that — because 



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