THE USE OF BLINDERS. 247 



powerful curb. It is no argument, because some of the 

 best and fastest horses have been great pullers, that 

 it is not a material injury to speed, as it is almost a cer- 

 tainty that they would have gone still faster if easier driven. 

 But even granting that it does not meterially effect the 

 horse, the driver assuredly would be in a better plight to 

 win, if he had been more at his ease when driving the 

 heat. 



A great deal has been written and said relative to the 

 use of blinders. While the arguments for their discontin- 

 uance are apparently the stronger, I must acknowledge 

 that, in my practice, more horses have gone better with 

 than without them. It is a great point with me to have a, 

 bridle " sit well " on a horse's head ; and if it has not been 

 properly constructed, ah 1 our efforts to adjust it will be fu- 

 tile ; and when well made, the greatest care must be taken 

 that the bit is in the right place, and that the side-pieces, 

 and the strap that is attached to the front part of the 

 blinders, are buckled just where they ought to be. The 

 blind itself should be of sufficient size to completely hide 

 from the horse everything that is behind him, and con- 

 fine his range of vision so that it will be circumscribed by 

 about sixty degrees, or the sixth part of a circle. This 

 will give the blind flare enough, so that it will merely 

 shade the eye, without the least possible chance of injuring 

 it by pressure, or by want of circulation of air. I find that 

 horses driven with an open bridle are not so attentive to 

 their business, watching everything that comes under their 

 observation, and paying particular attention to every mo- 

 tion their driver makes. While I am willing to gratify 

 this propensity, when it does not interfere with the lessons 

 I am giving, I want to control it when in the harness, and 

 prefer at that time to have the undivided attention of niy 

 pupils. Each horse should have his own bridle. To have 

 a harness apiece would still be better, but this would in- 



