The morning call., 1893-08-20

calling carriage, the dealer will ask you if
you want harness To match. If you
answer in the affirmative you get a set.of
impurted harness direct from London. II
Is heavily caprisoned, and the severe
cuecKreln Is one OF its features"
ana along with the cob harness and its
taut checkrein comes the English curb
bit. This usually goes with The Badoon
check and it is quite as much an instru-
ment OF torture as the cneck itself. A
goou many of both are used in this city
despite the estimate of Mr.. Redding
Among the really fashionable eQupages
in San francisco are those Of Theodore
Marceau, Z. j. Baldwin, Robert Wieland,
mrs. Callahan, DIR. ErSkiDe, Il. NJ. Levey,
Claus Spreekels, the Crockers. the Ho-
barts, Achille R0os and one or two Others
You can lick one of these eQuii ages out
from almost any kind of crowd, for the
horses hold their heads higher and prance
more than most horses. They are brtter
horses too, of course, than those driSen by
most people, but one and all of them are
checked so severely that the animals
suffer torture while in harness.
Not a few people are to be found who
defend the severe checking. That is the
greatest wonder of it all They say high
checking saves the driver much hard work.
a wel-knOwn lveryman who lakes care of
several private equipages for society men
and women told HE CALL reporter il
would never do to let some horses have
their own way in going up or down hill.
They would be sure to stumble aud fall uE-
less their heads are held up high, he said.
and he really looked as though he believed
every word of IL.
why, a good many of these carriage
horses would be absolutely unmaBageable
II they were not checked up" said he.
And it's very hard on the driver when the
checkreln is loose. How is it hard on the
driver? Why, he has to hold the heads OF
his horses up by sheer force if they are not
properly checked. | say the check ought
to be used all the time Horses need 1t /;
besides they look better that way, make a
better appearance when checke ed right up."
Alexander McCord of the Fashion
stables takes issue with his brother livery
man in this respect, though his own styi-
ish rig might be found fault with by
those who insist upon letting the horse
have his own way with his head
II don't believe in too severe checking" 3"
said Mr.. McCOrd. land never did. When
let turnout the horses are checked Just
enough TO keep their heads up a biz, but
not TO such an extent to cause them need
less suffering. It's wrong to check he III
up to the last notch. and | would not have
1t done at all II had my way in the mat
ter"
The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
10 Animals Is about to intervene in the
matter OF high checking in this city, and
those who dislike to see horses tortured
Will wish tile society success in its work
we ought to have a law particularly
fitting this matter" said Secretary Ho-
brook. However, l am of The opinion
that the thing can be stopped If a vigorous
policy be carried out. No cases have yet
come under my notice. that is, no aggra-
waited cases, where the cruelty to tn e animal
was so apparent as 10 warrant us in taking
action with hope of making clear case
against the offender. a good deal more
could be done in such cases If there were
sDeeltc law forbidding severe checking
1t is all wrong and should be stopped at
once and forever"
The society's officers should take up
stands in the driveways OF Golden Gate
Park some fine afternoon. They would
not have long TO wait if any of the ultra
fashionable equlpageS were on the road.