252 



CHECKING AND BLINDERS. 



as a simple means of control, as other treatment is given for objec- 

 tionable habits, and does not apply at all to the use of the check 

 upon gentle horses in their driving. 



Even those most humane in intentions arid feelings are liable 

 almost daily to subject the most gentle horses to this very serious 

 cause of discomfort and pain. To illustrate somewhat the extent of 

 this, I will refer to two cases coming to my notice in one evening, 

 just previous to writing this paper. A banker, who had a promis- 



Fig. 305.— Comfort. 



ing three-year-old trotting colt, which he purchased for" his own 

 driving, having him hitched up one day, invited me to ride. The 

 colt's head was checked so extremely high as to make it unpleasant 

 for me to witness the pain and discomfort of the horse in trying to 

 relieve himself from the restraint. Fig. 302 is a good illustration. 

 I took particular pains to explain to the gentleman that this was 

 not only entirely unnecessary, but a cause of real cruelty, and that 

 I was confident he would not intentionally subject his colt to such 

 needless pain and discomfort, when brought to his notice. He, 

 like thousands of others, had scarcely an idea what the check was 

 for. He " liked to see the head kept high, as it made the colt 

 appear better ;" " it was the method of hitching up trotting horses, 

 and his colt ought to. trot," etc. But notwithstanding my utmost 

 efforts, I could not persuade him to leave off the check. 



