HACK AND HARNESS HORSE 71 



of the Badminton Library is equally emphatic. 

 *' Bearing reins/* says he, '' have been and will 

 always continue to be, a bone of contention 

 between coachmen of different classes, the Society 

 for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and 

 others who periodically write a considerable 

 amount of rubbish on the subject when the 

 newspapers are not filling well, and the gigantic 

 gooseberry season comes on. It ma}^ safely 

 be said that were not bearing reins still in use 

 amongst the ordinary traffic of Piccadilly, Bond 

 Street, Regent Street, etc., the number of acci- 

 dents, as well as the amounts of the Coachbuilders' 

 Bills would be largely increased." Col. Smith 

 Baillie, another famous coachman and authority 

 in all appertaining to the harness horse also 

 writes : '' 1 should very much like to see some 

 of the men who write so much against bearing 

 reins drive kickers without them. I think they 

 would soon either alter their opinions or give 

 up driving anything but quiet horses." And 

 he goes on to relate how he once had a 

 kicking mare put into his hands as a leader in 

 a team, and that she had no bearing rein on. 

 She soon began to ' play up ' in a very per- 

 sistent manner, getting her head well down, 

 and kicking merrily, and all her driver's efforts 

 to get her head up were unavailing. So she 

 was taken out and a bearing rein was put on her, 

 and then he could manage her right enough though 

 she still kicked occasionally. 



I do not suppose it is necessary to warn the 



