334 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



not have such foolish desires ; the care and com- 

 Ibrt of his horse would bn his only objpct. The 

 mischievous t'ffecis belbre staicil are often over- 

 looked by mnny to whom the use of the bet^ring- 

 reiu is as natural as ilie sadJIe or any part of the 

 harness. The editor has olien (buud very kind 

 and respectable men, wholly ii^iiorant of the pain 

 and agony which their horses have endured. 



There is one infallible proofconstantly to be ob- 

 tained of the cruelly of the use of the bearing- 

 rein, and olits injurious eti'ecis, though we believe 

 very few persons are aware of it. Whenever a 

 horse has been worked with a tight bearing-rein, 

 the corners of his mouih become raw, injlanie, fes- 

 ter, ari'i eventually the mouth becomes enlarged on 

 each side ; in some cases to the extent ofiwoi/tc/ies. 

 JKveo belore the bit has produced these visible 

 eHects, if the corner of the mouth, under the bit, 

 be touched, the animal will fiuich as if from hot 

 iron. Let this be the sign with every master and 

 servant. 



To what are these enlargements attrtbutable? 

 what causes them ? Nothing but the friction of the 

 bit in the efforts oCthe horse to get up to his work. 

 How dreadful to see a horse heavily laden — 

 liis neck bent into a perleci curve — his mouth 

 open — his eyes ready to start out of their sockets. 

 The ignorant, (hough perhaps not cruelly dis- 

 posed driver, looks on with admiration to see how 

 " handsome" his horse appears, and imagines 

 that the tossing head, open mouth, and gnashing 

 teeth are signs of game^and streniTlh, whilst on the 

 ■contrary, they are the most unequivocal evidence 

 of distress and agony. Let any one test the 

 truth of this by loo.-ing the bearing-rein, and he 

 will immediately find the horse go taster, keep his 

 -mouth shut, and his head in one steady horizon- 

 tal position.* A short time since the editor stop- 

 ped a wagon to look at the mouth of the shaft 

 horse — he found the mouih actually cut open by 

 the bit at least two inches on each side : the 

 wagoner said "he know'd it sure, Hwas the 

 Jair wear of the ir'n T' The man was open to 

 conviction, and upon the cause of this dreadful 

 punishment being shown he altered the rein. 



The propensity to jib, if not; actually caused, is 

 much increased by the bearing-rein. In ascend- 

 ing a hill the freest horse may be compelled to 

 stop and refuse to exert himself, knowing that he 

 can put no more strength till the head is loose. 

 A short time since, in Southampton-street, Co- 

 vent Garden, the editor of this pamphlet saw a 

 crowd' collected looking at a scavenger's cart, 

 fully loaded, drawn by an immense horse. The 

 Btreet is a moderate ascent, and the horse had stop- 

 ped just below the top of the hill : the driver 

 turned the horse round down the hill, then up, 

 and with his help-mate very humanely assisted 

 by pushing. The horse, without being flogged 

 or spoken to, went on steadily with his very 

 heavy load to about the place he belore stopped 

 at, and again " gave up :" he was sweating much, 



* The dray horses in London exhibit the innst 

 painful examples of the cruelty of using: a tight 

 bearing-rein. Whether at work or standing they 

 will be found in continual torment- tossing their 

 heads, or resting the weight of them on the bit, and 

 so drawing back the corners of their mouths, as 

 nearly to split the ligatures ;— at work, instead of 

 going on steadily, they, " bob" their heads, feeling 

 the check at every step they take. 



and appeared to be a game good horse. The 

 editor went up to the driver and advised him to 

 uidiook the bearing-rein ; the man said, "it's nau 

 use, I have turned him around three times" — 

 the editor said, " he must be a good horse to take 

 to the load three times," and pressed him to un- 

 hook the rein; the man replied, "the ause 'ill 

 lall down." The editor coaxed him to try, the 

 rein was unhooked, and immediately the horse 

 took the load Irorn the spot where he stood : the 

 man said, " he never saud it done afore." It is 

 not uncommon for considerate drivers to unbear 

 their horses at the ll^t of a hill, which is a very 

 strong proof of the lolly of using the rein at all. 

 It has been and may again be advanced as a plea 

 lor its retention, that a horse after having been 

 used to the rein will miss it, and so be liable to 

 (all if he trips after it is taken ofT. A trial will 

 prove that this is not the result. 



It is a common opinion that when a horse trips 

 or stumbles, it is the rider or driver who pulls him 

 up, by the sudden jerk or shortening of his reins, 

 and prevents an actual fall ; hence the moment a 

 horse takes a false step, the rider or driver tugs the 

 rem with all his might. We frequently hear it said, 

 "the horse was going to lall, but I pulled him up ! 

 I kept him on his legs !'" As well might a fly 

 resting on a coach-weel boast of its kicking up a 

 dust ; as well might a wagoner seated on the 

 shafis, think to pull up a wagon which had lost 

 its (ore wheel. Such expressions are prools of 

 the ignorance of those who make them, because 

 when they become aware of the (act that the horse 

 has stumbled, the danger is over — the animal has 

 recovered itself, and their tug is useless. To help 

 an animal effectually there must be " where* to 

 stand on," and both an arm and a rein strong 

 enough. A bearing-rein is fixed to the falling 

 horse and falls with him — it cannot save him ; it 

 keeps a horse (i-om seeing and avoiding stones and 

 other impediments, it is a hindrance not a help ; 

 an injury, and not a benefit. If he fall with a 

 bearing-rein he must break his knees or the rein, 

 or its hook, or the crupper ; il he trips without one, 

 and the driver " gives him his head," by ins_tant- 

 Iv slackening the reii,8^(what few inexperienced 

 Englishmen will either do, or believe to be judici- 

 ous) the creature is set at liberty, and will proba- 

 bly quickly recover himself, unless receiving,, as 

 he is almost sure to do, many heavy lashes. It 

 cannot be supposed that a horse stumbles will- 

 ingly, therefore to punch him for it is unjust, and 

 only adds to his I'ear. 



It must ncil, however, be inferred that all who 

 use the bearing-rein approve of it. Servants, when 

 men of humanity, experience, skill, and character, 

 are often found to admit its lolly and uselessnees, 

 but dare not lay it aside. 



It is said that the ladies powerfully obstruct the 

 removal of this useless and injurious instrument. 

 It is hoped that the lew who drive and the many 

 who keep their own horses, will give the best and 

 strongest denial to this scandalous imputation, by 

 immediately reprobating the use of the rein. 

 Could their poor horses answer the questions — 

 AVhy do you continually toss your heads when 

 standing in harness? Why do you stretch open 

 your mouths, shake your heads, and gnash your 



* Archimedes said, " Give me a place to stand on 

 and I vi'ill move the world." 



