The daily gazette., 1876-11-07
oFr WITH THE CHEoK.REIN.

A horses neck should be on level
with his back. 1t is not generally known
| but is nevertheless a fact that the check
rein inficts unnecessary torture on the
horse, and the accident to Mr.. Babcock
in the parade on Friday night, was nc
doubt caused by tight check-rein, max
ing the horse plunge violently and throw
his rider.
We heard also, that on Saturday night
in the parade, the horses were tightly
checked, and we think 1t is high time
some light was thrown upon the subject,
and the many runaways we read Of stop
ped. We will just quote from an article:
''The check-rein inflicts unceasing tor
ture upon the animal. by holding the
head upwards, it puts the muscles of the
neck on 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 vio-
lently stretched. Thus he only exchang-
es one torment for another. am not
making fancy sketches; every word Of my
description is true. i have seen many
splendid and valuable horses, worthy of
better fate, tossing their heads incess-
antly, aud champing their mouths into a
foam, from tho intOlerable uneasiness Of
this cruel check-rein. Tosum up in word
the check-rein lessons the horses strength
brings on disease, keeps him in pain, frets
and Injuries his mouth, and spoils his TEN
per-"
Mr.. Flemming, Veterinary Surgeon of
the Royal Engineers Uondon), says:-
81 think nothing can be more absurd
than check-reins. They are against rea-
son altogether. They place the animal
in a false position. The horse stands
with check-rein exactly as aman would
stand with stick under his arms, behind
his back, when told to write. 1t is ex-
tremely cruel, also. l have no doubt if
the public could only realize the fact that
it throws away a large portion of the
horses power altogether, and is very CRU
el besides, this rein would he discontinue
ed. 1t is not only the head that suffers;
but from his head to his tail, from his
shoulder to his hoof, and over his whole
body, he suffers more or less.
1 have seen many horses standing at
public-house doors and other places, in
this uneasy state, and by-and-by set of, in
their deeire to get home and be unhar-
messed, when the driver has rushed out +,
and punished the horse for his own error.
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, distortion of the windpipe
to such degree as to impede the respi-
ration ever afterwards, excoriation of the
mouth and lips, paralysis of the muscles
of the face, etc. 1t is useless appendage
supported only by fashion. l feel that if
this were more generally understood,
numbers of excellent persons who now
drive their favorites with check-reins
would discontinue to do So"
"This check-rein is In erery case, pain
fta to the animal, and useless to the dri-
uer. Because, it fastens the head in an
r;inGtural posture; and, as the horses
shoulder and head fall together, cannot
be of any real support in case of stum-
bling.
can only conclude, as the result of
my examinations, that the custom of ty-
ing up horses heads with check-reins, like
the custom of bleeding calves before they
are killed, is relic of barbarism, contra
ry alike to common sense and scientific
opinion, and which has been permitted to
exist so long because it has been nobodys
business to call public attention to it.
S.P. c. A.