222 



BACK-STRAP 



CH. XI 



strap and crupper are sometimes omitted ; but they 

 are necessary if bearing-reins are used, and on 

 drag-harness, at least, it is best to have them on all 

 the horses. Public-coach lead-harness is often made 

 without them. 



Back-Strap. — The back-strap of the wheel-har- 

 ness is usually double (Fig. 106), but in the lead- 

 harness it should be made as in Fig. 107, because 

 the loose point of the double strap is likely to catch 



Fig. 106. 



Fig. 107. 



the fork of the lead-reins, which is annoying and 

 might cause an accident. There is no objection to 

 using this single strap on wheel-harness also. The 

 crupper-dock itself should be large ; it is then less 

 apt to wound the tail and is a good preventive 

 against kicking ; a horse when he kicks always puts 

 his tail tight down, and if he cannot do so, he is very 

 apt to give up the attempt to kick. Coaching-har- 

 ness is usually made with the split end of the back- 

 strap sewed to the crupper, which is simpler than if 

 it is buckled to it, but sometimes a horse makes a 

 difficulty about having his tail pushed through the 

 crupper, and to obviate this, it is well to have a 

 spare back-strap with buckles, or one which is split 



