OR, The Turn Out. 51 



black ; round reinSy brown leather all through, which the Author 

 never recommends ; flat hroivn reins, flat lined Oxford reins, 

 stitched two or four rows according to the quality of the 

 harness, all of which are adapted to any class of harness, the 

 latter looking very neat and wearing remarkably well. For 

 ladies driving, white buff hand parts are the usual thing. 



And last, but not least, is the important item which has 

 caused so much controversy, experienced and otherwise — 



The Bearing Rein. — Much has been said ; volumes have 

 been written ; overstrained and impossible pictures and 

 numerous dear-at-any-price pamphlets and baby poems pub- 

 lished, in wholesale, thoughtless, and inexperienced con- 

 demnation of the bearing rein, a specimen of which literature 

 the writer once heard condemned by a justly-celebrated 

 London steel goods manufacturer as "mere twaddle," and 

 who said " the contents were calculated to gain no other end 

 or point than the one probably intended or hoped for, viz. : — 

 "advertisement, by bringing the thoughtless and unreasonable 

 objector before the public, and of giving him an opportunity of 

 airing his — barbarous — sentiments (this being the^word chiefly 

 used by persons of this one idea only), on that subject at least." 

 It is a strange fact, that the majority of those who write and 

 invent wholesale against the bearing rein are totally inex- 

 perienced in its use, and in the " Turn Out " generally. 

 Therefore, in the light of day, neither their arguments nor 

 themselves would be accepted as authorities on the subject. 

 The Author does not condemn the use of the bearing rein 

 altogether, neither does he advise or advocate the regular 

 or permanent application of it, but his motto, in reference 

 to that particular item of the set, has always been — Dis- 

 cretion, and his standpoint — Humane. That there are 

 times and circumstances which demand to the harness the 

 application of the bearing rein for the general safety of the 

 " Turn Out " there can be no doubt or legitimate question 

 raised. The fact is well known that it should not be (and 

 the Author believes it is not) as a rule attached for appear- 

 ance sake only, as some arguers would have it understood, 

 or with the desire of punishing the horse. A special case 

 recently came under the writei's notice, where the necessity for 

 applying the bearing rein to a valuable sixteen-hands steed 

 presented itself, and was ultimately adopted. The animal 

 being fresh had taken to amuse itself, after a spin of a few 

 miles, by wandering, and throwing its head almost between 

 its forelegs, and again in the air, whilst going at a swinging 

 trot, — or, as some folks would term it a rattling pace, — and at 



