CHAPTER XX 



HARNESS 



^T^HE harness of most horses, work-horses especially, 

 -^ is unnecessarily heavy. The harness shown in the 

 illustration (opposite page 114) weighs only fifty-three 

 pounds, collar and all, and it is big enough for any 

 horse of 1,400 pounds, and yet horses of that weight 

 frequently carry a harness weighing seventy or eighty 

 pounds. 



THE BRIDLE 



There is no strain of any account on any part of the 

 bridle, and a small, light bridle is very much more 

 comfortable for the horse, especially in hot weather, 

 than a heavy bridle. The bridle should never exceed 

 two pounds in weight. Bad sores often develop under 

 the crown piece when a heavy bridle Is used In hot 

 weather. The place where the crown piece rests Is a 

 very tender part of the horse, being unprotected by 

 any bone or muscle, and consequently it is liable to be 

 galled. For this reason, the crown piece of a work- 

 horse's bridle should be soft, flat, and much wider than 

 it is usually made. A throat-latch too tight Is a com- 

 mon defect. 



BLINDERS 



If any blinder is used, It should be a comparatively 

 small one, flaring outward, so that the horse's eyes will 



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