MOUTHS. 187 



blinkers they may be put on over the bridle (390) whilst 

 he is at work, and after he has worked some weeks without them. 

 No farm horse is safe that has not been accustomed to see all 

 that is behind him at every description of work. There are not 

 quite such good reasons for using blinkers at all with the farm 

 horse as there are with a lady's horse in the streets of London ; 

 but without them he often gets too knowing, and can judge too 

 well when there is no whip about, or when he is out of its 

 reach. 



415. — The best way for a young horse to get familiarised 

 with high, shaking, noisy loads, or general harvest work, is by 

 ■working alongside a steady horse in a double-shafted waggon. 

 Where only carts are used, he may be worked a few days as an 

 outriffser. In either case he should work without blinkers whilst 

 in charge of the old horse. 



416. — We have already said (378) that it is not desirable to 

 give a draught horse a fine, sensitive mouth, and, for the same 

 reason, plough horses' bridles should contain nothing but the 

 mildest description of bit. A ploughman is almost necessarily, 

 but still more habitually, heavy handed with the reins, and 

 thoughtlessly ignorant of the sensitive character of the 

 horse's mouth. His placid, good tempered animal will bear more 

 rough usage than light horses would do, but they, too, often get 

 more than they can bear, and we are often shocked to see the 

 extremely thoughtless, stupid way in which the mouth of the 

 plough or team horse is literally torn to pieces. 



417. — It IS no uncommon thing to see two or even three 

 horses tied together, not by the halters or heads, but by the actual 

 bits, so that every fly that alights on either of them causes a 

 violent jerk on all their mouths, and no horse can yield to the 

 ploughman's rein, however violently used, until his companions 

 will permit him to do so. To tie their heads together all day by 

 the upper rings of their bridles, or by a high placed, broad 

 strapped halter is bad enough, though often convenient and 

 necessary ; but to tie them together by the bits is a wanton piece 

 of cruelty that keeps the horse in the most painful restraint all 

 day, and must, at first, make him a sore mouthed, mop-headed 



