The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-03-06
WELL DRESSED HORSES.
LAWS WHICH GOVERN IN MATTERS
OF EQUINE GOOD TASTE.

To those who deplore the extremes
tc which 1t is pretty generally con-
ceded the Independent American cltl-
zen goes in matters Of dress, it may
be comforting to know that the Amer
lean horse, at least, is coming to be
looked upon as one of the best and
at the same time one Of the most
properly" dressed horses in the world,
gays the New York Post. And. when
it understood that horse without
the least difficulty on it's owners part
may appear in the park and on the
boulevards in attire as shocking as
diamonds at breakfast, it will be the
better realized what this means. That
there are still fragrant violations of
the laws which govern matters of
equine good taste goes without saying,
but they merely serve to furnish the
contrast by which the general i'm"
provement is made more marked.
To the horsc-show associations,
more than to anything else, may ne
attributed this advancement in the
proper housings of the American horse
of fashion and the correct appoint
ments for park traps and road turn
cuts. In establishing classes in which
the appointments of the entries must
hctaken into consideration blythe judg-
es in making their awards, the associa-
ton has set definite standard OF
fashion. An owner, for example,
whose pair of brougnam horses are
turned down (after the judge has
weeded out the entire class down to
his pair and one other), because his
brass-mounted harness is equipped
with steel instead of brass kidney
links, learns next time to understand
the Importance of these little Iiceties
of detail. And it is the attention to
or the ignoring of these apparently
Insignificant details that make park
horse either smart" or ridiculous.
The black rcsettes, for instance,
when used on the bride as emblems
of mourning, arc considered improper,
Unless a plain black brow band Is
substituted for the ornament one orig
inally On the harness. The saddle
housings, if in color, should likewise
be changed. In this city it has become
an unwritten law that the rosettes
snail be of the same shade with the
carriage trimmings, but in London and
in Paris this rule is not observed. In
those cities violets AMI other flowers
are frequently substituted for the
orthodox silk rosette.
AS in matters to masculine attire.
London likewise sets the styles in
fashionable harnesses. There is
well-known importer of horse-furnish-
ings who has successfully introduced
several new fashions into this country
by first making them popular in Lon
don, where he has another store. Pos
sibly the most conspicuous case of this
kind was that of the Swiss collar
which he offered as substitute for
the English collar, which had original
IL supplanted former Swiss importa-
tions. The new collar was made with
an extremely broad breast-plate and
two heavy brass terrets. AS light
runabout harness, it has now almost
entirely succeeded the old one.
The French quarter-blanket made
of leather has likewise largely taken
the place of the English broadcloth
blanket. 1t is cut shorter than the
English affair, and is intended to
protect only the horses lo-ns, and
thus in no way impede the movements
O.: his hips. Harnesses, according to
this Broadway importer, are divided
like mems garments, into two classes
dress and understand to appear In
the park with a victoria and an un
dress harness-which becomes un
| dress if the kidney links are of steel
when the other mounting is brass, OF
| when the bearing reins do not com
form to the general ensemble-is as
unpardonable as appearing On the
| street in an evening coat and russe'
shoes.
strangely enough" said the impor
ter, 81 find that the tendency here Is
| towards ultra conservatism. There II
rot the same latitude permitted here
today that you will find in London
This is especially true of the brough
l. S and heavy park vehicles. There
Il trfst any color is permissible in the
HerinGs of a victoria or landau
B. anv a one seems to dare employ
~ same tn other than black; and the
!. The use holds true of the housings
.. servant is pole-chains here when
J. is unpardonalng is an offence which
try. Pole-strapll in any civlllzea couu
70 are alone perm. - poisneu e oucAie'
> chains were nada u.,th me pore
aiding smartpcss toHe tur, we" y
io they should only be use, to ar.n G 81, :,
:. which a gentleman may d. the i,.;,, =,
ing. 1t is not good form eithet :. -,
:. have quarter-blankets of one color =,
}. housings of another, nor is it any Il
ger the thing to use large monogram
on them. We cannot revolutioni
the styles IN harnesses as a tailor m
I with his wares. We are fortunate
! we can change with every four or Fl
years"
In four-in-hand turnouts-no iou
= from the character of it's patrons
! is probably easier to offend the D,
prieties than in any other departme
in which the horse plays part. The
are little niceties in appointment al
department, so finely drawn that
observe Or tc ignore them eth
makes old friends enemies or stran
ers friends There is one school tn
believes in driving with the left har
held on level with the chest. TT
other school drives with a low han
sneers at the former method and cal
It driving in front of your scarf pin
The scarf pin advocates answer tn;
to work a four after this manner
more difficult, and consequently
more of an accomplishment. Their
are the gentlemen whips who conten
that hip-straps or trace-bearers stoul