Adjiisting the Check-rein 327 



the driver taking delight in having the harness and 

 fixtures shine. However, it requires much rubbing 

 and pohshing to keep the brass in presentable condi- 

 tion. When all the metal parts of the entire har- 

 ness are brass (Fig. 29), it requires at least one hour 

 after each drive to keep the fixtures shining and 

 from turning green, as they will if not poHshed- often. 

 Compare with Fig. 98, where the metal parts are 

 black and the harness much less expensive. 



The check-rein. — The adjustment of the check- 

 rein deserves special consideration, as the efficiency 

 of the horse depends much upon the way in which 

 his head is held. In common practice there are 

 two general methods of checking the horse's head — 

 by means of the side-rein and by the overdraw 

 check-rein. The former is used largely on work 

 horses, the latter on driving horses. The side-rein 

 is used with and without check hooks at the throat- 

 latch. Though the side-rein is not so effective in 

 compelling the horse to hold his head up, it is much 

 more comfortable to the animal and enables him to 

 perform his work more efficiently. Horses checked 

 with the side-rein are not so likely to stumble as 

 those with the overdraw check-rein and will pull a 

 much heavier load. This is because they have more 

 liberty with the head, thereby enabling them to see 

 the ground immediately in front, and to lower the 

 head, and thus throw more power into the collar. 



The overdraw check-rein was devised and first 



