CHECKING AND BLINDERS. 



brought into use, as has 

 been stated before, by the 

 professional trainer, for 

 the sole purpose of mak- 

 ing horses trot steadier 

 and faster ; but on account 

 of the appearance of style 

 which they forced the 

 horse to indicate, and the 

 pride most people exhibit 

 in trying to give their 

 horses the semblance of 

 superior form and style 

 which it conveys, as well 

 as to imitate, as far as they 

 can, the efforts of the pro- 

 fessional trainer of trot- 



, 1.1. 1- J • i.u Fig. 311. — Common method of pulling: the tail up 



ters, they have, durnig the ^. , - , , i, 



■' °_ after bemg nicked. 



past decade, come into 

 very general use. 



It may be worthy of mention that this check is peculiar to 

 this country, not being, as far as I know, used in any other 



country, only 

 the old form, 

 with its modi- 

 fications, being 

 used in Europe. 

 In England it is 

 known as the 

 " bearing-rein." 

 In originally 

 usingthischeck, 

 or bearing-rein, 

 upon driving 

 horses, the ob- 

 ject has been to use only so much restraint as w^ould pre- 

 vent the horse from throwing the head down below the breast, 

 and to curtail the head to its natural position, or slightly 

 below it, which is not seriously objectionable. 



Fig. 312. — One of the methods used to hold the tail up after 

 beioff nicked. 



