The Portland daily press., 1890-05-01
effects Of the Check Rein.
boston Transcript

[Boston Transcript
fhe horses neck when weary, is gradually
lowered, bringing immense pressure upon
the sensitive corners and roof Of the mouth
The saddle is with every movement of the
horse tipped forward, instead of riding nat
urally fiat upon the back. If the horse be
at all nervous, the firing of the neck is &C
companied by constant tossing of the head,
which materially aggrayates the trouble. In
consequence we see sore mouths aud abraded
cheeks, poll-evil or the formation of an alb
scess ON the head from the constant pres
sure on the check, and sore backs from the
constant chafDg of thu saddle. The larynx
and trachea are composed of narrow bands
so arranged as to form set of Incomplete
rings joined at their ends by a small elastic
band, and when air is taken into the lungs it
is necessary that they should stretch with
each inspiration. This action is very much
impeded when the head is elevated beyond
its normal limit, and the larynx and the ira
chea held in fixed position. and whistliDg
hr roaring is often produced by these means.
Another thing which is often overlooked is
the altered position assumed by the limbs
when standing In tightly checked horse
it will be noticed that he stands with hind
and fore feet wide part-or braced-as a
direct result of the changing of the centre of
gravity. High checking is, without much
has far from beneficial effect on the mus
cular structure of the hips, loins and lumbar
| region of the back, and many So-called weak
| backed horses may trace their infirmty tC
this cause. To the frightful category OF
| evils enumerated by DR.. Gardner may be adj
ded paralysis of the muscles of the face, dis
| orders OF the brain and nerves, and -aS stat.
ed by J.W.Axe, professor Royal Veterinary
| College, London, whose testimony is given
| as the result of eleven years experience in
| the post-m0rtem house and dissecting room
OF the college-"a variety of stru stural alter
ations and deformities which must render
life burden and shorten its SPAN"
Any ont of the aforementioned diseases
represent an intolerable amount of needless
suffering which the horse is forced to endure
by man, who is so often his merciless tyrant
instead of his merciful master. On the other
hand. there are no diseases that are caused
by not wearing checks!
Mr.. Fleming, army veterinary inspector
Nondon) gives the following twelve reasons
against the bearing-rein:
ii.
g 1t adds to the weight of the harness and
the time required to clean it,
3. 1t wearies the head and neck of the horse
by the constrained, unnatural position in
4, 1t spoils the appearance of the horse.
and largely detracts from his free and grace
| full movements.
3. The long continued pressure on the low
er jaw tends to give the animal a hard mouth
and therefore renders it less obedient to the
drivers rein.
6. 1t does not prevent stumbling, but on
the contrary predisposes the horse to fall,
and with much more severity than than if It
were not used,
7. In hot weather. or during extreme exer-
lions, 1t may directly or indirectly produce
an attack of giddiness or apoplexy- The last
probably terminating in death.
In heavy draught, in addition to the
torture it occasions, it causes large portion
of the horses power to be lost, from the ami
NAL being unable to get his head and neck
down, and thus to throw more of the weight
of his body into the collar.
8. The powerful muscles which pull for
ward the shoulders and indirectly the fore
limbs, and which are attached to the head
and neck, ar5 by it placed in the least favor
able position for exercising their function,
so that the horses action as well as its speed
and strength, are impaired from this me-
chanical disadvantage,
10. 1t causes pain and distress in breath
ing
IL. 1t tends to distort the upper part of the
windpipe and causes roaring