Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-08-18
Checkrein on the Horse.

This is a topic which has been much
discussed, both pro and con. have, in
my time, written several articles on this
subject, and many have taken stand
against me, says E. j. Waterstripe in the
Michigan Farmer. Like all other great
questions, suppose there never will be
a unity of opinion. We want to work
our horses in manner that will be best
for us aud best for them. We should
study to this end and no other. There
is proper and an improper way to use
most everything, and there is scarcely
anything that we cannot use the wrong
way if we try. In considering the sub
ject let us think of the use of the check
rein in a proper manner. Everybody
knows that it is possible to use it the
wrong way. | want to speak Of the
checkrein when used in proper and hu-
name way.
We can make all things injurious when
not used in the right way, and for this
reason many have seen the.abuse that
has been apparent from the use OF the
checkrein, and from this same have con-
cluded that it was torture to the horse,
which it was in those cases, and have
concluded that it should be cast away.
MY conviction in favor of the use of
the checkrein on the work horse came
from watching another man who never
had a checkrein on any of his harness
and from just this experience became
more and more in favor of the checkrein.
He also has since gone to using the
check, and with better result. This
man always had sore shoulders on his
horses, and am convinced that working
without the check was a great factor In
it. also notice that since he is using
them he is not in trouble half as much
as before, and this is very easy to reason
out. If we plow the horse without a
checkrein he will naturally be putting
his head down and be nibbling the weeds
and especially the grass on the turn.
Now do not say that If you feed him
enough he will not do this, for this
makes but little difference. 1t is natural
for the horse to be grazing. Now, in the
first place, this eating all the time is not
good for the horse, any more than it Is
good for the man. We should eat regu-
larly and give the stomach rest. But
this is not the main point. The horse
that is ever putting his head to the
ground in working will cause the greater
part Of the draft to come on the lower
part of the shoulder, where it should
press evenly all along, and this causes
the collar to rub and you have sore at
those places. You may be able to work
without having a sore, but you are more
apt to. In working horse, the collar
should fit and press over the whole sur
face of the shoulder. If this constant
shifting of the draft does not cause sore
shoulders, 1 do not know what would.
For this reason l use the checkrein to
keep the horses head on the natural
level. Do not go to extremes and check
the horse so high that you can see his
eyes when driving, and not so low that
he will be grazing, but check for the
natural level, which is higher on some
horses than on others. There are horses
that cannot comfortably hold their heads
any higher than the level Of their shoul'
ders. Study this in all your horses be-
fore you set any particular notch on their
checkrein.
| The checkrein has also an important
place in helping to control horse. Dc
not throw away any part of the harness
that is useful. Do not get the fashion
of trying to drive with as little harness
as possible. Be humane to the horse
and use the checkrein as it should be
used, and it will be help to the horse
but when used in the wrong way it j:
torture.