7-i The Management and Treatment of the Horse, 



museum as a relic of the past the less broken knees 

 and enlargements of the maxilliary glands will be seen 

 among our horses. It is impossible for the horse with 

 its head tied to its back to recover itself if it makes 

 a false step ; yet such is the folly and ignorance dis- 

 played that we are often told that the bearing rein is 

 put on to hold the horse up and keep it from stumbling, 

 To those persons who believe in the use of the bearing 

 rein, I would advise that they should run over rough 

 ground with their hands tied behind their backs, and 

 judge for themseves if they would be able to save them- 

 selves if they made a false step. The head acts the same 

 purpose to the horse as the hands to a man ; if it stumbles 

 it puts its head out to gain its equilibrium, but if its head 

 and tail are tied together with the bearing rein and the 

 animal stumbles he must fall, if the bearing-rein or the 

 turret does not break. I have seen many horses drawing 

 heavy loads up-hill with their heads tied as if in a vice, 

 making the labour doubly as hard for the poor animals. 

 Any horse with full liberty will draw a ton better than 

 it could half-a-ton with its head tied up with the bearing 

 rein. Look at a team of horses at plough, drawing up 

 the face of a steep hill, see how they bend to their work; 

 they have liberty, consequently they work with ease ; 

 but see another team with their heads tied up with the 

 bearing rein, see how hard they labour to draw the 

 plough, see how often they try to stop, see how they toss 

 their heads to relieve the strain on the muscles of the 

 neck ; hark how the driver uses the whip to urge them 

 on, yet fashion has ordained that the horse must suffer 

 from man's ignorance. We have a Society for the 



