CHECKING AND BLINDERS. 



HighCheckiug. — Soon after 

 the inauguration of trotting, it 

 was found that horses of cer- 

 tain temperament and form could 

 be made to trot more reliably 

 and faster by holding the head 

 checked high, and soon consid- 

 erable ingenuity was displayed 

 in the development of the best 

 methods of doing this. This 

 was resorted to with the same 

 object with which toe weights Fig. 30.5. — A gentle family horse; showing 

 and other means are now used, the discomfort and pain of 



111 1 r 1-11 liigh checking. 



to hold and lorce more reliably 



in the trotting gait. 



Down to about fifteen years ago the check in general use 



consisted of a simple strap, the ends 

 of which were attached to the rings of 

 the bit, passed through the lugs on 

 each side attached to the throat-latch, 

 and back to the saddle-hook. The 

 shorter the strap, and the higher these 

 lugs were placed, the higher the head 

 was necessarily drawn up and back. 

 A good illustration of the extreme of 

 such checking is shown in Fig. 316. 



Various improvements were made 

 on this method, based mainly, now 

 in addition to the points explained 

 in raising the lugs, or in attaching them well up near the 

 head-piece of the bridle ; next, in 

 passing the strap through the 

 rings of the bit, and attaching to 

 the cheek pieces of the bridle, 

 making the purchase straighter 

 up on the head, and giving con- 

 siderable pulley purchase up and 

 back upon the bit. Various mod- 

 ifications have been made of this 



form, in connection with powerful ^^^ 307.-One position of head of 

 curb bits, with the object of ele- the horse referred to in text. 



Fig. 306.— The family horse trying 

 to relieve himself from the 

 restraint of the (heck. 



