THE OVER CHECK AND CURB-BIT, 



CHAPTER XI. 



I aiii as radically opposed to this appliance as I 

 am to blinds on the bridle. If you have a horse that 

 was born without style, you might as well submit at 

 once to let him go through life for what he is worth 

 wdthout torturing him, because there is no art of man 

 that can add style to him if it is not natural for him 

 to haA^e style. But man can destroy style and natural 

 beauty by the use of straps and rigging. I have seen 

 horses that were natiirally stylish, having the natural 

 curve in their neck, with all the beauty that nature 

 could give them, and then have it all dstroyed by the 

 use of the overdraw check rein. This straight strap 

 is not only a disfigurement of itself, but it destroys 

 .the appearance of the horse by taking the curve out of 

 tlie horse's neck and converting it into a straight line; 

 it also wears off its mane, but the rein coming from 

 the nose directly over the horse's head, lifts his nose 

 up almost straight with his ears, turns the eyes upwards 

 and causes the neck to appear a great deal smaller tkan 

 it really is, thus destroying the style and handsome 

 appearance of a fine horse. Horses look handsomer 

 when driven with open bridles and no check reins. 



