222 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[chap. 



and also those that have become so accustomed 

 to them that at first they will go badly without 

 them. 



879. The excuse made by some that the 

 bearing-rein prevents stumbling is made for this 

 reason: while the neck is held up, the levator 

 humeri muscle— which passes from the top of 

 the head and neck to the arm (humerus) above 

 the elbow— causes the arm, or foreleg, to be 

 drawn more forward ; this would, therefore, 

 lessen the liability of that leg catching on the 

 ground and causing a stumble. Now, in the case 

 of a horse that carries his head very low, a 

 bearing-rein, to keep his head up a little, may 

 prevent stumbling ; that is, provided the horse 

 has been so badly mouthed and placed that his 

 driver is unable to make him hold his head up 

 by means of the reins. Now, supposing the 

 horse does stumble, as he often does with a tight 

 bearing-rein on— showing that its use is not 

 worth much — the animal cannot recover himself, 

 because he has no lever to bring into immediate 

 action to throw his body up again. If his neck 

 is free, and he stumbles, down goes his head 

 and up goes his body, a simple law of mechanics 

 brought into play instinctively. 



This is too often shown by a checked-up 

 horse invariably breaking his bearing-rein when 

 he stumbles ; if he does not break it, he generally 

 falls and remains on the ground a helpless mass. 

 At any rate, he gives himself a painful jerk in the 

 mouth, and the fool of a driver checks him up 

 higher next time. I acknowledge that the leva- 

 tor muscle does draw the leg more forward at 

 every step, if the head is held up, but surely 

 common sense will tell us that the same muscle 

 will thus prevent the leg from completing its 

 full stroke backwards, i.e. underneath the horse. 

 And if a horse, while stepping with long strides, 

 has his forelegs suddenly checked as they reach 

 the back end of their strokes, a tendency either to 

 hinder the animal or even cause him to fall will 

 result. 



880. In training a horse, the better the skill 

 of the trainer the less will he require to use 

 mechanical means to " place the horse correctly." 

 Stumbling is generally the result of the horse not 

 being properly balanced, and this is generally 

 the fault of the trainer. One of the first objects 

 to be aimed at in training a young horse is to 

 place his head. Good hands will do this without 

 useless aids. 



Compare the graceful necks in P. 34a, b, 

 53, 142^ with the necks in P. 141, 143, etc. The 

 use of the bearing-rein will always tend to 

 harden a horse's mouth. The ignorance of many 

 drivers who use these articles is shown by the 

 way they jerk the horse in the mouth every time 

 they wish to accelerate his speed. How would 

 they like to receive a jerk in the mouth every 

 few minutes, even when they were doing their 

 best? 



881. The hame-rein is used on draught 

 horses (P. 143a), and consists of a short rein 

 similar to that used on a saddle horse. More 

 horse-power is lost by the abuse of this rein 

 than of any other. Its use is similar to the use 

 of the loose side bearing-rein as explained in 

 Sec. 877— that is, to prevent the horse from 

 getting his head down and eating the crop, while 

 reaping, or the grass, etc., when left standing. 

 This is very necessary in the case of the horse 

 in a reaper that is next to the uncut oats, to pre- 

 vent him from nibbling at these all the time. But 

 in most cases the drivers do not use common 

 sense, and, because they have these reins, think 

 they must be used tightly, as in P. 1436, thus 

 hindering the horse very greatly and causing 

 much loss of energy, and therefore loss of money 

 from the owner's point of view. These hesivj 

 horses must be allowed, while drawing a load 

 up a hill, to lower their heads almost to the 

 ground, otherwise not only are they less able to 

 make progress, but they will be very liable to 

 do serious harm to their backs through having 

 to pull the load without being able to put their 

 weight in the place that mechanics demands it 

 should be. The foolishness of these reins when 

 used tightly cannot be understood by owners of 

 horses, or they would never allow their use. 

 The only way to be sure that they are not used 

 tightly is to forbid their use altogether, except 

 in the rare case of the outside horse in reaping, 

 for example. 



In Scotland the hame-rein is practically 

 unknown. P. 1436 should be carefully studied 

 by the reader ; it is quite clear that the hame- 

 rein should never be used unless very loosely, 

 and even then unhooked altogether when ascend- 

 ing a steep hill. If the horse's neck is free, he 

 can pull a greater load, he can pull it faster, he 

 will not fatigue himself, and he will not cause 

 himself physical harm. Is not this economy? 

 Apart from all this is the question of cruelty ; 

 but, unfortunately, certain people consider this 

 point last. 



882. In Russia, where trotting horses are so 

 popular, the overhead check-rein is not generally 

 used ; and the Russians are the finest horsemen 

 in the world. Why are these reins used so much 

 on the American race track? Neither mechanical 

 contrivances nor fashionable torture can restore 

 lost spirit to a horse ; no remedy exists but care- 

 ful treatment and proper encouragement. There 

 are few, unfortunately for the horse, that are 

 able to exercise the necessary remedies. 



Professors Fleming, Pritchard, Axe, Walley, 

 McCall, Mayer, McGill and others have written 

 condemning any check- or bearing-rein unless 

 very loosely worn (and then their use is un- 

 necessary with most horses). Professor J. A. 

 McBride has written largely on the evil effects 

 tight checks of any kind have on the circulation 

 of the blood. 



