BEARING-REIN AND HAME-REIN 



75 



It is only a few days ago that I saw a horse waiting 

 outside a public-house for its driver, reined in as 

 tightly as possible with a nosebag on. I only wished 

 I could have tied this fool's hands behind him, and 

 fixed his head up, and set a foaming mug of beer 

 before him ; he would then have had as much chance 

 to slake his thirst as his poor horse had to touch 

 what the nosebag contained. And so ignorant 



FIG. 36.— SHOWING THE DISPLACEMENT OF WINDPIPE AND GULLET. 



cruelty, not to give it a harder and truer term, 

 continues to flourish. 



While on this painful subject I cannot do better 

 than quote the deliberate opinion of those in high 

 authority. The Duke of Portland, Master of the 

 Horse, says : 



' If I see horses approaching me with a cruel, tight bear- 

 ing rein, their heads hauled up to an unnatural height, I 

 expect to find, and generally do — in fact, I lay to myself as 

 long odds as ten to one on it — a very third-class coach- 

 man on the box, with a very fourth-class looking carriage, 

 which is generally occupied by people of a vulgar type.' 



