The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-02-28
The Check Rein

Men who understand horses never
| make the mistakes which are made
hourly by people who are ignorant and
selfish. Eminent writer's have en-
I deaVored to educate the world to a
| common sense treatment of horses, SO as
to have them relieved of the agony
they endure in this enforced keeping
the head erect and the neck bent by
tight brides and CALLING bits. The au-
thor OF o standard book on the health of
horses says: am anxious to add my
anathema against that inhuman instru-
ment OF torture, the check rein. 1t is
not less detrimental to the utility of the
animal than it is replete with agony to
him. 1t must have been invented by a
savage, and can only be employed by
the msensate. Look at the elongated
mouths of the unfortunate animals thus
so wantonly abused-torn by the bit in
their unavalllng efforts to overcome
this truly barbarous instrument. What
produces that dreadful disease, poll-evil
but the action of this cruel strap, con-
strainlng the head during the violent
exertions of the animal, producing in
Illumination and liberation of the point
III which It articIlates with che spine?
Oh, We daughters of the land, ladies who
compel your carriages to wait at the
theater, the shop, and houses OF acquain-
tances for hours together think what
agony you might prevent by little
thought for the dumb beasts who serve
you so WE'LL" 1t is doubtful If there is
any one humane topic more worthy of
American consideration than the treat
ment of horses. Millions of dollars are
invested IN horsetiesh, so that it be-
comes matter worthy of commercial
consideration to those who have no
bowels of compassion and are callous to
the claims of brutes for merciful treat
ment. An eminent English writer
says:
/. If horse pulling load has his
head held III by check-rein he cannot
throw his weight into his collar, and is
hindered from giving his body that
position which is the most natural and
effective. He has to pull by the
strength of his muscles only, the weight
OF his body is lost, and so much pulling
strength thrown away. What remains
is exerted at great expenditure Of the
horses powers and health to say moth
ing of his comfort. The consequence is
that his limbs and muscles become
strained and distorted. His knees are
bowed forward and his hooks backward.
If man pulls load by a strap across
his shoulders he bends his head and
chest forward aud relieves his legs. A
horse does the same when he eau. and
ought always.
2. 1t Injuries the horse, not only in
the way described, bat the confinement
of the head in constrained position,
while the heart and lungs are excited by
the work, hinders the breathing and the
of the blood in the head. !
These effects make the horse uncom-
Portable, and he becomes restless and /
fact, his head aches and pains |
him, and he gets many jag and blow |
just because his driver cannot under |
stand the cause OF his restlessness. [ |
have seen many horses standing at |
doors and other places in /,
this uneasy state, and by and by set off |
III their desire to get homo and be un-
harm ssed, when the driver has rushed /
ont and punished the horse for his own
error.
3. The check-rein inficts increasing
torture upon the animalin another way.
By holding the head upward it puts the
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 violently
stretched. Thus he only exchanges one
torment for another. I am not making
fancy sketches; every word OF my
description is true. I have seen many
splendid and valuable horses, worthy OF
a better fate, tossing their heads iuces-
sanity and champing their mouths into
foam from the intolerable uneasiness of
this cruel check-rein. To SUM up in a
word the check-rein lessons the horses
strength, brings on disease, keeps him
n pain, frets and Injuries his mouth
aud spoils his temper New York
Herald.