The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-11-22

ones observation we have only to per-
suade the first wagoner we see (he is sure
to have all his horses tightly borne up) to
undo his bearing -rens, when nown will go
every horses head, so to relieve the wear
isome strain upon his muscles, and give
the weight of his body its due and natural
power Of overcoming resistance; and thus
each horse betomes enabled to do his work
as comfortably and easily as nature inten
ded he should do; for nature never inten'
ded a heavy animal like cart horse to
perform slow work only, or chiefly, by
strain of muscles /; but, on the contrary 10y
the power of weight as the rule, assisted
10y strength of muscle as the exception,
when extra resistance has to be overcome.
Thus, when we curb up horses
head with eur senseless bearing-reins,
| and make him as ewe-necked as we
appear to do, we are inYerting the
rule and order of nature; weare evident
y trying to prevent his using the full un-
restained power Of his weight, and are
compelling him to over-strain and over
exert, constantly, those very muscles which
should be kept in reserve Tor extra diff
cultles-such as greater inequalities III
the road, new laid stones, &c. Now any
one can sec that, to an old, worn-out; half
| starved, over-worked animal, as too many,
aye, 10y far the greater proportion are,
this must be intoierabe cruelty. 1t is
mIsta ke to think u bearing rein can be
any service whatsoever, unless, as very
exceptional case, TO very young, head
Of ,,l \. 80.
to ihnk it improves horses appearance
--nothing contrary to nature can ever
really do this. 1t is mistake 20 think
it can ever prevent horses falling down,
though it has been the means of prevent
ing many an old one recovering from n
stumble {; but until our horse-owners be
taught to look at this matter in its true
light, the light Of common sense, and I'M
til il be taken up the influential land ow
! nsrS and more enlightened aud more con-
siderate of the tenan! farmers amongst
us, it is in vain to hope for any mitigation
of this but too uIG GYersal cruelty.
Hundreds of humane men, employ
ers of horse labor there are in all our
counties and towns, who, if their atten
ton were but called to the senselessness
and cruelty of the practice, would at
once Sec the necessity o! the only promp.
remedy; and in these go ahead days
Prejudice and Custom have but tottering
foundations the one is fast yielding 10
common sense, and Lord Ashburion's
much to- be-desired "know ledge of COM
mon things !" and the other will not long
stand its ground unless it has something
more than the prestige Of mere antiquity
i'll As favor.
I'VE, ourself have entirely done away
with bearingreinS among our own heavy
draught horses though our carriers were
at first rather astonisheI at being desired
to discard them entirely, and substituting
loose halter or rein at one side instead,
they soon found that their horses were not
u whit less manageable without bearing.
reins, and that they did their work with
far greater case to themselves.
"A great friend of ours, who has turn
ed the sword OF dragoon into a plow
share, and has paid great and successful
attention to farming affairs, gives it as his
opinion that "a pair of horses, when freed
from this useless tackle and left to step in
freedom, would plow from an eighth if
not one-quarter more land in a day, and
with greater case to themselves and less
fatigue when the days work WAS over,
than when confined in their action by
bearing gsreihs.'
ut does appear not little desirable
that Improvements should be made gene.
rally in our team harness, so that all un-
necessary weight and useless gear, bearing
reins, DC, should be got lid of; and per
haps il the Royal Agricultural Society
were to offer a prize for improved harness,
and give the sanction Of its authority to
some improved type, we might hope to
see, ere long, great and beneficial change
in this respect. Change is by no means
desirable for its own sake, but the change
from bad system to good one--from a
bad to a good implement--=cantot he
otherwise than advantageous TO the com
munity and it is only by observing and
obeying nature'a laws that we can hit
upon improvements which may be real
and lasting, whether in mechanical appli-
anceS for plows, carts, and harness, or
with respect to the practical details Of
scientific cultivation, or the condition and
household comforts Ct our agricultural
laborcrs. Agriculture fosters and en-
braces in its maternal grasp the knowledge
of high and noble sciences as well as that
Of common things aud it is most un.
reasonable to hope that that powerful
Society, which pre- eminently represents
the influence, the talent, the enterprize,
and the humanity Of our English agricul
tarists will, among the thousand and-oue
other improvements, which it has intro
dnced and is introducing, not deem il be-
meath It's notice to throw the energy Of
its influence against the unnatural system
Of bearingseins- r-,J Jonrsal of Royal
AgyieuifaraI Society.
-~----s <ss.sr-~-
Men never talk an,ongst each other a