534 
HINTS ON HORSES* HARNESS. 
Do not think that when you see a noble animal standing 
in a carriage, tossing its head and champing its bit, that it 
is its pride. No; he is endeavouring to obtain a moment’s 
cessation to the pain inflicted by his head being thus con¬ 
strained by the short rein. 
If none of these arguments suffice for light harness, at any 
rate they should prevail for one class of horses. Any one who 
has noticed a heavy draught horse commence moving an 
exceedingly weighty load—and a better instance cannot be 
given than a shunting horse attached to several loaded railway 
trucks—to exert greater power the animal lowers his head , and 
almost crawls along the ground, and yet draught horses are 
universally provided with this rein, which is usually one of 
chain, to jealously guard against any tensile property a 
leathern one might possess. As in the case of winkers, I do 
not advise a general and immediate discontinuance of bear¬ 
ing-reins, as there are some sluggards who hang and depend 
on the bit, and would never go safely without them; but if 
all young horses were taught to work independent of them, 
there would be but few subjects—and those from some 
natural defect—that would be benefited by their use. 
But there is still another important part of horses’ harness 
requiring amendment, and that is the collar, and which, from 
being constantly pressed against the neck, interferes with 
the free return of blood from the head—in other words, in¬ 
duces apoplexy. Further, it impedes respiration, produces 
fistulous withers, poll evil, and other ills. Sore shoulders 
are of frequent occurrence , 1 causing great inconvenience to 
their owners by throwing animals out of work (the real 
grievance), or otherwise ending in a prosecution. The sub¬ 
stitution of the breast-strap would remedy most of the 
inconveniences of the collar. It affords greater surface for 
pressure, being thus less likely to produce galls, besides 
having its bearing upon parts less affecting the breathing 
and superficial circulation. Normandy horses, as used in our 
funeral corteges in our large cities, go well in them; then 
why not all horses ? 
The disuse of winkers and bearing-reins I am satisfied 
would be no loss. Of the abandonment of collars for breast- 
straps I have not had thorough opportunity of studying the 
result, and should like to know what, if any, cogent objections 
there may be to the general adoption of the breast-strap. 
I may safely end this paper as I commenced it, by main¬ 
taining that custom alone retards improvements being made 
in horses’ harness, and thus winkers, bearing-reins, and 
collars are still used. 
