THE BEARING REIN. 27 



most, or nearly all omnibus, van, car, cab, and tram- 

 way horses are driven -without them in London. 



Many gentlemen have also done away with them 

 for their horses ; even four-in-hand drags are fre- 

 quently seen without them — but cart horses, say for 

 instance (and only because they happened to turn 

 up first on the surface of memory), those working 

 in the carts belonging to the vestry of St. George's, 

 Hanover Square, are still hampered with them. 

 They are to be seen with their chins drawn up to 

 their breasts, thus having their stride shortened, 

 and thus making many more steps than natural to 

 each mile they travel ; and every step, short as it 

 may be, entails a putting in motion of the flexor 

 and extensor muscles and their tendons. But 

 Nature has determined the real economical swing 

 of these muscles and their tendons in each direc- 

 tion; and so it results that, by depriving her of her 

 will, such horses are prevented from exercising their 

 powers to the full, and at great inconvenience to 

 themselves, and prejudice to their lasting power 

 also ; for something is bound to suffer undue 

 wear and tear when natural extension and flexion 

 are interfered with — even if it should be only the 

 sheaths of the tendons, to put it in a very moderate 

 light. 



Farmers plead that cart horses, driven by a man 

 on foot, must have something for that man to catch 

 hold of at certain times, and they also parade and 

 make much of the fact that when they have a hill 

 to ascend, the bearing rein is loosened ; therefore 



