CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF HORSES 147 



gives too much back-and-forward motion to the collar, which 

 is noticeable at the hame tops. This is likely to cause sore 

 shoulders either at the points or at the top. If the draft is too 

 high, the Ukehhood of injury will be equally great. There is a 

 proper place for the draft, varying with the conformation of the 

 horse. When the hame-tugs are at the proper place, there will 

 be very little motion at the top of the hames as the horse walks. 

 Again, the tugs should be so adjusted that they are both of the 

 same length. Often careless drivers hitch one tug longer than 

 the other, which is very hard on the horse, and a source of much 

 extra exertion as well as sore shoulders. 



Breast harness. — For light driving, breast harness is admissible 

 and is to be preferred for such light rigs as runabouts and buggies. 

 In the adjustment of breast harness, care should be taken that 

 the neck strap is not so long as to let the breast harness drop and 

 interfere with the action of the fore limbs. On the other hand, 

 the neck strap should not be so short as to draw the breast 

 harness up and choke the animal. The breast harness is in- 

 tended for light work only, and if the load is heavy, the horse 

 may choke. This is particularly true in ascending a steep 

 grade. Much care should be exercised in its use. 



Fitting the back-band and crupper. — Perhaps next in impor- 

 tance to the bit and collar is the crupper. If the back-band or the 

 check-rein is too short and the crupper is drawn too tight against 

 the tail, it is likely to cause soreness ; since this is a very tender 

 part, it may lessen the reliability of the horse. A horse with a 

 sore tail is hard to manage. At any time he may get his tail over 

 the line, become excited through fear that the abraded part will 

 be injured, clamp his tail down on the line, and be difficult to 

 control. If the back-band is too long and the crupper too loose, 

 it is likely to result in the back-band, crupper, hip-straps, and 

 breeching all slipping off to one side of the hor^e, with the result 

 that the animal may become excited and difficult to manage. It 

 is therefore necessary that the back-band and check-rein be so 



