THE OVERDRAW CHECK. 



333 



into the collar by a taut check-rein, a useless and painful in- 

 cumbrance, introduced by vanity and retained by thoughtless- 

 ness amounting to cruelty. 



THE OVERDRAW CHECK. 



While it has its advantages in controlling kickers and pullers, 



and especially pullers in 



-V - ■ •- ■-■ : - .\ A,,. 



races liable to check 



down, this, nevertheless, 



is a cruel and barbarous 



appliance to the average 



driving or business horse ; 



for under the continued 



strain of the overdraw 



check something must 



soon g'ive away (for every 



horse, as well as man, has 



his weak points), and if not the body the temper soon wears 



out. 



Although large dealers train their sale horses to this check 

 they recognize the harm of it when they say that customers 

 who practice short checking wear out their horses more quickly 

 and sooner return for fresh ones. One year's hard checking 

 caused a pair of Kentucky's valuable coach horses to become 

 so sway -backed as to be wholly unfit for good use. Of all 

 cruel devices inflicted on this noble animal none has ever come 

 under my observation more so than this senseless overdraw 

 check, which article of torture should never be used on any- 

 thing but a kicker, or an animal liable to kick or a hard puller 

 or lugger ; and even, then it should be loosened at the earliest 

 possible moment consistent with safety. 



A day of watching the best horses in any of the large 

 cities as they are being driven at the present period, will reveal 

 the fact that this cruel torture is imposed on them under the 

 impression of their owner or driver that the taut overdraw 

 check enables them to exhibit more style than the loose, com- 



