The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-24
HIS HUMANE HOBBY.
a LOVER OF HORSES breaches
AGAINST TIE CHECK REIN.

err, and showing Inem tho >'"'y VI
High Checking-Expe1enccs
Down with the check reinl"
Such is the war cry chosen by gentle
man OF Scandinavian extraction whose
name Is G. w. Petersen. On Sundays,
and on week days, too, he may be seen
1t various street corners talking TO coach
men. teamsters and owners Of horses. tie
holds an oil painting in his hands and
shows IT to the people he addresses as an
illustration OF his arguments. The picture
represents horse, swan and man, all
checked up high, and bears the following
peculiar inscription:
when under high pressure Of low pride
try the check rein on yourself"
Mr.. Petersen Is laughed at and jeered
ut 6y the people he addresses. He is often
taken for crank and told roughly TO
mind his own business, but with the
obstinacy and perseverance ST Peter TIE
Herpait, be goes on preaching crusade
against the check rein. He Is one OF those
Characters who cannot be discouraged by
obstacles, and who. having once taken UP
an idea, will follow it to the end.
- Laugh at me, take me for fool, Mr..
Petersen says, but | will stick to my
business, aud shall denounce the check
srein whenever there Is a chance"
Mr.. Petersen Is not O member Of the
Humane society. He Is no professional
friend of animals. In fact, be minds his
own business every workday in the week.
But as soon as he feels himself at liberty
to spare an hour or two he takes his pic
fure and goes out on the street to carry
on his eccentric propaganda he Is
friend of the horses, and he suffers when
he sees them suffer.
REGARDLESS oP COMFORT.
-.r Fashion is the curse Of this age, SAID
Mr.. Petersen; people will follow 1t re-
rardless of comfort. They will put
mountains on their backs and call itNle
hustle. They will torture themselves in
order to comply with certain forms de-
clared TO be the fashion. When people
torture themselves | do not care. Let
them suffer, they ought to know better,
] then think to myself. But when ! see
helpless animals tortured for the sake OF
complying with ridiculous demands OF
fashion. get indignant and cannot stand
IT. The horse is one Of the most besuti-
tions and graceful, curved outlines Now
look at that picture. What do you see
theref You see the laws Of nature vio-
lated. You sec machine put up on the
horse in order to do away with the curved
line his arched neck forms
That Is the way begin my converse
ton with the people handling horses and
using the check rein.
IL tell them that this check rein is not
only disfguring the horse but also injur-
ing his health. II robs him of comfort, it
makes him nervous, and lie can't see
ANYTHING, because Of being forced TO look
upward unto tho sky. Then ! point to
the swan, and ask the coachman what
that noble bird would look like If check
rein would be put over her head. Then
point TO the checked up man. and ask the
coachman to tell me how he would feel II
he were checked up in like manner.
"'How would you feel, manY' say.
THE first few minutes you would proba-
bly, endure this constraint without much
complaint But then you would begin to
kick In a short time your neck would
begin to ache, and your mouth would DO
filed with blood from the fruitless efforts
10 get the head down. You would be-
come restless anG begin to toss your head
Just as your horse is doing it now. How
would YOU feel if, while the sun were
binding your eyes, with burden to draw
Or carry, unable 10 see where to step, you
were whipped into a run, into ditch or
depression in tho rough street pavement
Would YOU feel comfortablel That's
why YOU often see fine horses harnessed
to elegant carriages paw vigorously,
champ tho bit, toss the head, and turn
the neck They want to loosen the check,
lower the head, and get rest.
now THE Driver TAKES 1T.
"The driver smiles or laughs, or STAN.
mers something. He thinks am queer
fellow, and goes On TO explain that he
would not mind loosening the check, but
the people who employ him were opposed
TO IL, want more style, and so on.
lowell, then, i say, call your peoples
attention to tho fact that the horses arc
being tortured by the check rein. Tell
them that the horses would be killed in a
short time because of the silly fashion.
81 thus 90 on iecturing Often the
drivers and coachmen really follow my
udvice and remedy the thing. But often
the people are stubborn and do not care
to listen to what say.
81 have discovered that my painting
helps me good deal in my work. took
it one Sunday 10 the Peoples church at
McVicker's. There was long row OF
carriages with fine horses standing In
front Of the theatre. The horses were
NIL checked up. showed the picture to
the coachmen They laughed and fred
at me all kinds Of SILLY remarks. Finally
u young couple drove up in carriage TO
the theatre The horse was restless. /
showed my picture TO the young gentle.
man and explained TO him the reason OF
the horses restlessness. The young gen.
tleman thought he had a fool from the
Insane asylum before him. The uni
formed coachmen stood around grinning
and awaiting developments.
"Well, gave them practical lesson
right there on the spot. unchecked
the horse, and there he stood quietly and
comfortably, showing no signs of being
unmanageable. TIE check having been
loosened the horse dropped his head. His
neck assumed its natural arched form.
He at once became All object of admira
ton for all the drivers. The young gen
tleman thanked me for my advice, and
the ladr that was with him thought that