THE ANGLE OF TEACTION, ETC. 219 



observation, and two remedies have been devised, which 

 apparently remedy the fault, but in fact only disguise 

 it; indeed one of them, at least, aggravates instead 

 of curing the real evil. The one remedy consists in 

 curving backwards the upper part of the collar, which 

 hides the defect partly, and if not carried to the excess 

 of impeding the play of the top of the shoulder-blade, 

 is harmless. The other offers a curious instance of 

 misplaced ingenuity, and is of rather recent date we 

 mean, the strap led back from near the top of the collar 

 to the trace-buckle, and which converts the front end 

 of the trace practically into a fork, whose points are 

 attached to the hames opposite to the two movable 

 ends of the shoulder-blade, so that in fact the play of 

 this bone is effectually checked at both ends alternately, 



The fair and inevitable conclusion to be drawn from 

 all this is, of course, that the trace should be attached 

 as nearly as possible opposite to the immovable part of 

 the shoulder-blade that is to say, to its centre. A very 

 intelligent London harness manufacturer showed the 

 author very recently a number of collars and hames 

 constructed precisely on this principle, and assured him 

 that all the better houses in the trade had adopted it 

 for some time, so that all we can claim here is the 

 credit of showing the why and the wherefore of what 

 ought to be, but unfortunately is not, generally adopted. 



The shoulder-blade we may now neglect for a moment T 

 and go on to consider what other members are brought 

 into action, and in what direction the effort is made 

 by a horse leaning up against the collar in draught. 

 Now it is quite evident that in this case the fore legs 

 are much more completely simple bearers, and the 

 hind ones pure propellers, than under the saddle ; 



