Wilmington daily commercial., 1876-11-07
orr win me Uheck Rein /.

A horses neck should be on level with
his back. 1t is not generally known, but it
is nevertheless a fact, that the check reiu
inficts unceasing torture on the horse, and
the accident to Mr.. Babcock in the parade
on Friday night was no doubt caused by a
tight check rein, making his horse plunge
violently and throw his rider. We heard
also that on Saturday night in the parade
the horses were tightly checked, and as we
think it is high time some light was thrown
upon the subject, we will just quote from
an article as follows
The check rein inflicts unoeasing tor
ture upon the animal. By holding the head
upwards, it puts the muscles of the neck on
a constant strain. They become painfully
uneasy and tired. If the horse cannot bear
it, he rests the weight Of his head upon the
rein, and his mouth is violently stretched.
Thus he only exchanges one torment for
another. am not making fancy sketches
every word of my description is true. l
have seen many splendid and valuable
horses, worthy of better fate, tossing
their heads necessarily, and champing their
mouths into a foam, from the intolerable
uneasiness of this cruel check rein. To
sum up in word the check rein lessons
the horses strength brings on disease,
h6opb ulm III paul. lI6bb huu luJuE6s HIS
mouth, and spoils his temper. l have seen
many horses standing at public house doors
and other places, i'll this uneasy state, and
by-and-by set off, in their desire to get
home and be Embarrassed, when the driver
has rushed out, and punished the horse for
his own error.
'I would therefore say, that instead of
preventing horses from falling, the check
rein is calculated to render falling more
.,tlNa asNf
its use are, distortion of the windpipe to
such a degree as to impede the respiration
ever afterwards, excoriation of the mouth
and lips, paralysis of the muscles Of the
face, ETC. It is useless appendage, sup
ported only by fashion. feel chat if this
were more generally understood, numbers
of excellent persons who now drive their
favorites with check-reins would discontin-
ne TO do 3d."
'Tlte clteck-reil, is, IN eUery case, pain
ftIL to be animal, and useless to the drtOer
Because it fastens the head in an unndtOrd
posture and, as the horses shoulder and
head fall together, cannot be of any real
support in case of stumbling.
Mr.. Fleming, Veterinary Surgeon of the
Royal Engineers (London), says -
81 think nothing can be more absurd
than check-reins. They are against reason
altogether. They place the animal in
cheolk-rein exactly as man would stanc
with a stick under his arms, behind hi
back, when told to write. 1t is extremel.
cruel, also. have no doubt If the pupli
could only realize the fact that it throw
away a large portion of the horses power
altogether, and is very cruel besides, thl
rein would be discontinued. 1t is not onl
the head that suffers, but from his head
his tail from his shoulder to his hoof, an
over his whole body he suffers more Q
less"
/ can only conclude, as the result of m
OK lminations, that the custom Of tying u
horses' heads with check-reins, like til
custom of bleeding calves before they al
killed, is relic of barbarlsm, contrar
ali 80 to common sense and scientific opll
ion and which has been permitted to eXls
40 iOlg because it has been nobody's bus
nezs to call public attention to it.
S. P. @. A.