HARNESS 341 



used in driving. The reinft {w) are merely long and narrow strips of 

 leather passing from the bit through the hame and pad-terrets to the 

 driver's hands. Bearing-reins are additional reins attached to bridoon bits, 

 and passing through ear-rings on or near the throat-lash to the hook on the 

 pad. They are, however, now seldom used in single harness ; but are 

 shown in the plan at page 340. Where the bearing-rein is not used, a long 

 ear-ring is now sometimes suspended from the head of the bridle, through 

 which the driving-rein passes, and by which the horse is prevented from 

 getting the rein under the point of the shaft, an accident which is very 

 annoying to those who leave their horses standing about with their servants, 

 as unless the rein is at once slackened, the horse is made to back and upset 

 the carriage. 



The chief variations in the details of single harness are in the drawing 

 part and in the breechen, independently of the bearing-rein to which I have 

 already alluded. 



Kicking-straps as usually applied are quite useless for the purpose because 



BREECHEN AND KICKING-STRAP UNITED. BREAST-STRAP. 



too far forward. If the amateur will look at a breaksman's arrangement he 

 will find a loop of leather attached to the crupper and tugs much further 

 back on the shafts than those intended for breechen-straps. 



The breechen is sometimes made in the form shown in the illustration, 

 combining it with the kicking-strap, which is intended to keep down the 

 croup, when the horse attempts to indulge in that dangerous vice. The 

 kicking-strap is made to pass over the hips, and buckles to a loop or tug 

 which encircles each shaft. To this is suspended by another buckle at (o), 

 which can be taken up or let down at will, a bi'eechen on the ordinary plan, 

 but it must be made of stout leather, or it will not be stiff enough to 

 support itself. 



In the drawing part a breast-strap is sometimes substituted for the 

 collar, its shape being shown in the above engraving at (h). It is merely 

 a broad padded strap to which the traces are buckled, and it is supported 

 by a withers strap, which is likewise buckled to it. It has the advantage of 

 being lighter than the collar, although with heavy weights to draw it confines 

 the shoulders, but for those persons who now avail themselves of the light 

 and cheaply constructed American gigs they are very suitable. They have 



