''SIT ON HIS 'EADr 447 



SO seats himself upon the poor horse's head, very often 

 upon the bhnkers, which he presses against the animal's 

 eyes. I remember seeing a horse fall down at the 

 bottom of the Haymarket one afternoon ; and v/hen 

 I suggested that the animal's head might be kept down 

 without gouging his eye out, I was asked what I knew 

 about 'orses, and whether I would like to sit upon his 

 'ead myself ? Seeing that remonstrance was in vain, 

 and that interference in such a matter had procured me 

 an unenviable notoriety, I walked away, by doing 

 which I no doubt manifested a considerable want of 

 moral courage ; but it is almost useless to interfere 

 between horse and driver unless the latter is known 

 to you, or you to him, in which case, of course, matters 

 would be different ; but any attempt at interceding 

 with a driver for the better treatment of his horse 

 is likely to have a result exactly opposite to that which 

 you desire, in addition to which you are probably 

 favoured with an amount of unparliamentary language 

 which is by no means edifying. 



But to return to the question of harness. Cruppers, 

 as well as bearing-reins, are iniquitous things if used 

 improperly — that is, if they are too tight — as they cause 

 great injury to the horse's spine. The only use of a 

 crupper is to support the loin-strap or breeching, and to 

 prevent the pad from slipping too far forward ; but 

 a horse with high withers, and a good girth just behind 

 the shoulder, is so formed that the pad cannot ride 

 forward if properly made and properly strapped on and 

 adjusted. A badly-made pad will frequently rock about 

 and get out of place. When this is the case the crupper 

 does assist to keep it in its place ; but when a gag bear- 

 ing-rein is used in connection with a tight crupper, then 

 the horse is practically in a vice, and the person who so 



