26 



CHECKING AND BLINDERS. 



Here, at the mere chance of a blind getting out of place, 

 you are at the mercy of a dangerous horse ; and yet, at least 

 one-third of the carriage horses in general use, if subjected to 

 the trial, would do this very thing, which would be entirely 

 prevented by first training and using the horse without blind- 

 ers,— the proper course to pursue, the treatment for which is 

 fully explained in other chapters. 



A Horse will Drive Better without Blinders.— Then a sen- 

 sitive, intelligent horse will always drive pleasanter and better 



when the eyes are left entirely unob- 

 structed, because he is able to see 

 and understand better the commands 

 of his driver. And certainly if the 

 bridle is properly constructed, wath 

 small round straps, of light or russet 

 leather, so as to conceal the head as 

 little as possible, the horse will look 

 better ; for, as before stated, the 

 eyes are the most expressive and 

 striking features of the whole head, 

 and covering them up seems like 

 trying to conceal an objectionable 

 defect. When blinders are used 

 for any purpose beyond what I have 

 intimated, they are nothing but a 

 senseless nuisance, in addition to 

 Fig. 342.— Blinders striking against adding considerable needless ex- 

 the eyes. pense to the harness. 



But these may be rated as exceptional cases, the same as 

 certain methods may be employed to prevent a horse from 

 kicking, or of holding an exceptionally headstrong, pulling 

 horse by the use of a bit that gives increased power. I would 

 repeat that there would be no more necessity nor sense in using 

 bhnders upon horses driven in harness, if properly trained, than 

 there is in using them upon horses under a saddle ; and who 

 would think of disfiguring and encumbering a horse's head, no 

 matter how poor, with blinders when used for the saddle ? 



