The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-07-23
The Check.Rein.

Geo. T. Angel, President of the Mass
achusetts Society for the Prevention OF
Cruelty to Animals, has issued a pamphlet
to horse-owners, drivers. aud teamsters,
on the cruelty to horses practced by using
the check-reiu. We copy few para
graphs:
If a man has heavy load to push or
draw, he lowers his head By bending
forward, and throws the weight Of his
body against, or to piopel the load-so
does the OK or horse, under similar cir
cumstances, if permitted.
1t the mans head were tied to belt
aronnd his body that ho could not bend
forward, he would lose the advantage of
of his weight, and could only pull or push
with his muscles--se also with the OK or
horse.
If the mans head we're thus kept in
perpendicular position, he could not SO
readily see where to step, and would be
more apt to stumble--so also with the OK
or horse.
No one in the saddle would thus tie up
the head Of his horse, aud no one world
expect horse thus tied up to win race.
Nor would any one think it an advantage
to put check-reins on oxen.
The London Horse Book says;
The horse is often prevented from
,hrewing his weight into the collar by 4
tight check .rein-a useless and painful
incumbrance, introduced by vanity, and
retained by thoughtlessness amounting to
cruelty. Few Of the London cab-dr;vers
use check.rens knowing them to be in
consistent with proper work and when
one is observed, it will invariably be
found to be on some poor animal, whose
wearied and haggard appearance is at
tempted to be disguised by this imple'
ment Of torture.
The check.rein is, nearly 10 nearly
every case, painful to the animal, and
useless to the driver Because it fastens
the head in an unnatural posture and,
as the horses shoulder and head fall to-
gether, cannot be of any real support 10
case Of stumbling.
"When, from some defect in the AMI.
NAL, or other cause, the check-rein rs used
it must bc slackened, Because, in ad-
dition to the easier position Of the neck,
greater portion of weight can be thrown
into the collar, especially going up hill,
thus faving a great and unnecessary ex-
penditure of muscular power.
There is an important difference be-
tween a tight eheck-rein and a tightened
rein, although not generally understood.
The first is injurious, and cannot help the
horse, while the latter is often useful.
Because the latter is steady support to
tho animals head, from distinct and in
tiligent source-the driver whereas, the
former is only the horses bead fastened
to his own shoulders. That tho check.
rein is inconsistent with the action of the
horses head, is clearly shown by the fact
that when horse falls it is always
broken
Professor Pritchard, of the Royal
Veterinary College at London, says,
September. 1869: IL would, therefore,
say that, instead of preventing horses
from falling, the check-rein is calculated
to render falling more frequent. Other
not uncommon results Of its use are, dis.
tortion of the windpipe to such degree
as to impede the respiration ever alter
ward, excoriation OF the mouth and lips,
paralysis of the muscles OF the face, etc.
Il is a useless appendage, supported only
by fashion. | feel that if this we're more
generally understood, numbers of excel
lent persons who now drive their favorie'
with check.reins would discontinue to Dc
oo