THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



333 



that one acre of turf, burnt into ashes, waa worth 

 quite 30Z., after all expenses of labor, &o., and 

 suggested as a proper quaniity 250 bushels per 

 acre, mixing wiih it about Ivvo quarters of bone- 

 dust. This mixture whs moredeeirnhle than using 

 ei'her se[)fjraiely, as ihe ashes tended materially to 

 Ibrce the plant in its early staue, renderingji less 

 liable to the ravages of the fly ; whilst the bone- 

 dust told more commonly in ripening the plant and 

 bringing it to perleclion. Other members spoke 

 in confirmation, and the following resolution was 

 agreed on : Resolved — ■' That paring and burninii; 

 is more beneficial than plouchins and rotting ; but 

 the subsequent cultivation should be on tlie alter- 

 nate system, Ihe first crop beinij in most cases a 

 green crop. That the land should be pared as 

 thinly as possible, and if so i' does nut reduce the 

 quantity of the soil, is preventive ^f the wire- 

 worm, and may he repeated »viih advantage as 

 ofieii as a new rug is produced." 



ON THE ABOLITION OF THE FIXKD BRIDLE OR 

 BEARING REIN.* 



From the London farmers' Magazine, for June, 1842. 



There is much mismanagement and consequent 

 misery inflicted on horses throuuh the force and 

 continuance of custom, habit, and prejudice ; par- 

 ticularly evinced by the use of ihe bearing-rein. 



The editor is impelled by a wish to do good, 

 promoted by attachment to the horse, and com- 

 passion lor that much abused and most cruelly- 

 treated animal ; influenced loo, as he hopes, by a 

 sincere desire to serve and benefit ihe owners. !t 

 is his object, by what he trus's will he (ound sound 

 reasoning, to bring into disrepute, and (as soon as 

 may be) into disuse, that tormenting part of the 

 harness, the fixed bridle or bearing-rein. 



It is a principle in mechanics, that whenever 

 agent or instrument suH'ers itee least resistance 

 from restraint, friction, or other wear or tear, 

 it will do its office with the most care, wilh ihe 

 greatest economy of time, and with the least ex- 

 penditure ol" strength or money ; and Ihie whether 

 the agent or instrument be an aninial, or a ma- 

 chine. Hence, to ensure the lull exercise of an 

 animal's power in the salest and most easy way lo 

 itself, we should be careful not permanently to 

 disturb its natural posture. The quesiion lo be 

 decided is, whether or not it is most judicious and 

 proper lo give a horse the Iree use ol his head, or 

 to prevent him from having that use. 



Il must beadmiied that whenever a horse trips 

 or stumbles, nature prompts him to try to save 

 himsell, and he instantly extends his neck and 

 head (or the purpose as a man would his arms: 

 this natural effort increases the animal's danger if 

 his head be at all confined by the bearing-rein, be- 

 cause the tug which he gives with his mouth is 

 communicated to the h.irness upon his back lo 

 which the rein is hooked, and the effect is the same 

 as if a man were wilh both his hands to lay hold 

 of the collar of his coat to save himself. To render 

 the bearing-rein or bridle of any utility in saving 

 an animal from falling, it should be of great 



* Observations on the effect of the fixed bridle, 

 or bearing-rein, and a few words for the English 

 post-horse.— Thomas, Plymouth. 



strenffih and substance, and lastened behind and 



above, or it will be useless. 



The dorsal muscles or sinews of the back in all 

 quadrupeds run iontxitudinally or horizontally from 

 the head and tail, and those extremities are main 

 woikinc powers — what the arms are lo a walker 

 or laborer, the head and tail are to the animal ; 

 lie a man's -r-.Ttus to his side, and even a gentle 

 push or trip will throw him down. This is the 

 effect produced by Ihe bearing rein. The horse'a 

 head tieirig fixed, he is unab'e lo use it as nature 

 intended, and Ih^refore ilhe trips or slides his head 

 is of no use. When horses stumble, they often 

 break the bearing-rein, and thus getting the head 

 free, are enabled to save themselves. We all know 

 that when a horse is down, the first thing done is 

 lo " give him his head" that he may get up. We 

 do not mean to say that a horse will never stumble 

 if worked without a bearinorpin, because we know 

 that they sometimes tall whilst loose in the field ; 

 hut we a>sert, without lear of contradiction, that 

 the surest way to keep a horse on his legs is at all 

 times 10 crive him the free use of his head. The 

 more he is crippled, Ihe more he needs his head. 

 The bearins-rein may probably be of some use in 

 •' breaking* a coh," and may, perhaps, help to 

 " get np his head" until he has been " taught hia 

 paces," but afterwards it can answer noend, except 

 souring his temper, making him jib, deadening his 

 mnuth, wasting his stvpyigih, hurting his w.nd, in- 

 juring his sight, lessening his speed, abridging his 

 services, shortening his days, throwing him down, 

 and breakingjiis knees : all these, it is fearlessly 

 apseried, proceed daily from Ihe use of this cruel 

 append ige. 



When running loose, the horse's neck is usually 

 extended ae straight as his back ; in this manner 

 horses would generally work. It is the natural 

 position, and the nearer we approach to it the 

 better for the animal, for he i« then at ease; and 

 (ihoi'gh little remembered"* his pulmonary action, 

 or breathing unimpeded. It is absurd to make a 

 bend or an angle, (if at all acute or sharp) in a 

 waier-pipe, or hose ; so it is absurd and cruel too 

 lo bend back out of its natural line the windpipe 

 ofihe horse by the use of the bearing-rein. In the 

 former case a full volume of water cannot be ob- 

 lamed ; in the latter the free breathing of ihe ani- 

 mal (so essential lo its comfort, and even to its 

 life) i^ hinder.'d.f Denied this may be ; disproved 

 it cannot. The effect o 'restraining a horse by the 

 bearing- rein, is to prevent him (i-om getting up to 

 the collar. If the bit is in the least degree afllVcted 

 by the bearing-rein ; in other words, if it is not 

 entirely loose in the mouth, the horse is checked, 

 and besides being kept from the full free exercise 

 of his strength, he is prevented from leaning the 

 weight of his body into the collar. 



We are aware that many who admit that bear- 

 ing reine are not safe, use them because tliey like 

 to see a horse look well, like to see him hold his 

 head up, Sfc. ; but a kind and humane man would 



* It would be well if there were more colt bend- 

 ers — the tempers of horses are not studied by the 

 g:enerality of colt breakers ; horses' tempers vary as 

 much as men's. 



t It is the opinion of many eminent veterinary 

 surg;eons, that " roaring and blindness are produced in 

 carriage-horses, and wagon-horses, by the bearing- 

 reins. 



