THE BEARING-REIN ^J 



' It cannot fail to reduce his value greatly, a hanging 

 tongue being always so unsightly. Imagine a horse held 

 thus firmly by the check-rein, his head high in air, his 

 nose poking forward, his eyes covered with blinders ! He 

 must go on, although he cannot see where he is placing 

 his feet. He lifts them high, trying to feel his way care- 

 fully; he can only turn his head when he turns his body, 

 in obedience to a pull on the rein, while all the bones and 

 muscles in his strong frame ache. Still, on he goes, pranc- 

 ing or plodding, for there is a cracking whip behind him ! 

 He is amiable. He wants to do what is required of him, 

 and it is from this disposition that his encouragement to 

 mend his pace or mind his ways must come — surely not 

 from the stupid clogs that check and make unnatural his 

 gait and thereby defeat their own intention ! ' 



Under the guidance of the check-rein the horse must 

 then go automatically? 



'Certainly, for nothing is left to his intelligence, and 

 he has no more volition than a machine. If regarded as 

 such, then is the machinist a bungler in his trade ; but it 

 must be very hard for the intelligent horse, to understand 

 why his friendly services to man are rewarded only by 

 pain and misapprehension.' 



As one of the most sensitive and delicate of animals, 

 he is too often the victim of the ignorant and indifferent 

 in their love of display, and to accentuate their wealth 

 and fashion, I imagine. 



' It is true, but those who know how to care for horses 

 with sympathy, and an understanding of their needs and 

 merits, cannot look with pleasure on their distress. Or, 

 when robbed of their becoming equipments of mane and 

 tail, they are held back to prance against the check-rein, 



