HARNESS T05 



horse, should always wear an, open bridle, so that he 

 can see where he puts his hind feet. 



Many horses are near-sighted and think that large 

 obj ects are much nearer to them than they really are. No 

 horse is safe to drive unless he is somewhat accustomed 

 to being driven without blinders, for at any time, by 

 careless harnessing, the blinders may be so arranged 

 as to permit him to see over the top of them, and in 

 that case he is almost sure to be frightened if he has 

 not been accustomed, through wearing an open bridle, 

 to see objects behind him. Many a man has been 

 killed because he happened to use a bridle so ill-fitting 

 or so worn out that the horse could see over the top 

 of his blinders, and not being accustomed to that, was 

 frightened by what he saw behind him. Top wagons 

 are dangerous things in such cases, and even a horse 

 who has been driven In an open bridle, when harnessed 

 to a wagon without a top, may shy and run away when 

 hitched to a top buggy. 



There was once a valuable trotting mare that had 

 won many races on the track and had always worn an 

 open bridle. One day her owner, wishing to show her 

 to a customer, put on a new and valuable harness with- 

 out blinders, hitched her to a Brewster top buggy that 

 was also new, and without any thought of danger drove 

 out of his stable. The mare, seeing the unaccustomed 

 top of the wagon following close upon her, was very 

 much frightened, ran away, smashed the carriage, tore 

 the harness into fragments and caused such injuries to 

 the driver and herself that they were both laid up in 

 their respective hospitals for six months or more. 



