The morning call., 1892-09-18

are the exception here rather than the rule,
and horse carrying the weight of heavy
cart suspended from the narrow, thinly
padded saddle of light buggy harness is
@ common sight We are nothing here IL
not radical, and have nothing between the
extremes Of harness that Is too light and
that which is too heavy. The drivers OF
heavy draught animals are the greatest
offenders In this latter respect
They fairly load their horses down with
supeThuous trapplngS, designed apparently
for no purpose save TO Increase the harness.
makers bill and render the horse clumsy
and awkward looking. The unfortunate
beasts are tricked out in heavy brides with
cheek straps like tugs. elumsiiy studded
with metal and bone. They have big she'd
roofs of leather over collar and harness
and aimlessly Tapping ornamental Jumps
of the same material hanging from every
available point. Long rows of useless rings
of bone flap and danxle and swing as the
animals move, and as il the poor beasts
did not look foolish enough with all these
absurdities. great. hideous masses of col
ored goats hair and floss are suspended
from their brides, and wsg aud bob about
their cneeks like gr0tesque ears turned
upside down.
A team decked out In this fashion looks
just about as pretty as Barnum's What-is-
II. Strangers coming to our city and seeing
them hauling the weird arks in use among
us Tor express wagons might be pardoned
for taking the outfits, drivers and all, for
survivals OF the aboriginal era In CallfOr-
MIA. or course 1t goes without saying that
blinders are necessary part OF this elab-
crate Quitting.
/ began this article with a word about the
checkrein Ii may be as well TO close with
another. There IS no part of a horses
harness about which so much has been
written aud said, and until the "Over
check" at least, is abolished by law, ii Will
probably always be bone of contention
among horsemeD.
The eheckreiE was first brought into use
to relieve the strain on the drivers hands
when spirited horse is inclined TO pull on
the bit and toss his head about, but, as with
nearly every other useful thing, there is
point where its use becomes abuse, and
worse than that, misuse. 1t is used now to
cOunteract an effect which 1t has itself pro-
duced, by making horses so dependent
upon its support that they hang their
heads when deprived of it. instead of. AS be-
fore its introduction, depending upon ma
ture's bearing rein. the strong suspensOry
ligament Of the neck.
The evils of the overeheck are manifold.
aud cannot be too strongly insisted upon.
1t produces a serious disease In the wind
pipe Of the horse; il renders The animals
progress difficult by holding his head in such
a position that he cannot see the ground on
which he must step. 1t interferes with bis
ability to pull in ascending a hill; it rem
ders him liable TO stumble in descending.
1t increases his efforts in working, and con-
seQuently diminishes his usefulness. 1t
renders him uncomfortable, and, moreover,
produces pOll-evi a serious disease TO
which the horse is subject aud which is
produced by a blow or bruise or by the
pressure of the rein just back OF the ears.
From the peculiar position of this diff
Guilty it is always a serious one to treat, and
many valuable horse is lost by it TO own
ers who spend much precious time there
after in wondering how on earth that horse
ever got hurt. MISS RUSSELL