156 THROUGH STABLE AND SADDLE- ROOM. 



only resorted to where a horse, from either bad 

 breaking or from being- too constantly driven on 

 one side of the pole in double harness, has one side 

 of the mouth harder than the other. 



Blinkers are used for the prevention of shying, and 

 there are many horses which would not go quietly 

 if thev could see a carriage behind them, vet which 

 are perfectly tractable in blinkers. Again, many 

 a horse w T ill shy when fresh, and the consequences 

 of shying in harness are often very serious. 

 Many people eschew the use of blinkers on the 

 ground that they are useless. This they most 

 certainly are not, although there are many horses 

 which will go without them. Nevertheless, they 

 may be useful and prevent an accident, and their 

 appearance is also in their favour. A horse without 

 blinkers in harness looks very plain and un-English- 

 like. Blinkers are made either round or square. 

 The latter have the smartest appearance. Where 

 crests are worn on harness, it is necessarv to use 

 proper materials to clean them with, and shields 

 and brushes are made on purpose, as without these 

 the powder or brass-paste used to clean the metal 

 with is very apt to soil the patent leather. The 

 price of these brushes is about 2s. a pair. 



Collars are usually made of patent leather. As 

 the entire draught of a carriage is from these, it is 



