226 HORSE AND MAN. 



the horse from doing his full amount of work, and 

 therefore is a cause of loss to the owner. The horse 

 is made so as to draw by means of his weight, added 

 to the propelling power of his hind legs. In order 

 to do this, he must be able to lean forward, and if 

 he be taking a load up hill, a free horse will fling 

 himself so far forward, that his nose comes half-way 

 to the ground. But this is all wrong to the profes- 

 sional eye, which likes to see a horse's head well up. 

 no matter what work he may be doing. So the 

 bearing-rein comes into operation, and up goes the 

 horse's head. Consequently, instead of being able 

 to fling his weight into the collar, the horse is obliged 

 to scratch himself along by the muscles of the fore- 

 legs, digging his toes into the ground so as to secure 

 a hold. The legs, not being intended for that kind 

 of work, soon become strained, and so the horse is 

 worn out before its time. The bearing-rein, in fact, 

 is to the horse what the brake is to an engine. No 

 one would be foolish enough to waste the power of 

 an engine by keeping the brakes down during work 

 time, and exactly similar is the result of working the 

 horse while the bearing-rein is used. My house is 

 close to the High Level Eailway station at Upper 

 Norwood, where vast quantities of coal, bricks, and 

 other heavy goods are constantly delivered. There 

 is scarcely a waggon in which the horses are not 



