Evening journal., 1916-09-21
By ISABEL W. DEPUTY.

This attempt TO tittingly descrlDe
the intense suffering caused by the
overhead checlreln, is made for the
purpose OF calling the attention OF the
thoughtless who inflict this everyday
torture upon the willing creatures,
who serve the many in their business
occupations, and others, who are able
to indulge in the pleasureable luxury
of driving for recreation.
The use of the bearing-re Is us
ually considered as one Of the minor
cruelties to which dumb animals are
subjected. The pain caused by the
tight rein does not as once horrlfy one
in the same way as does the desrip-
ton OF horse being kicked or goaded
on an open wound, or the recital or
painful vivisection. but II any one
will try the experiment Of strapping
one leg up tight and keeping 10 In that
position for a single hour, he Will be-
gin to realize what horse suffers
when his neck is held for hours IN
constrained position. though in the
horses case il is probably worse be-
cause the muscles involved are
larger and in a more vital and sensi-
tive part Of the body. II any evidence
is wanted of the cruelty Of the check
rein, it is to be seen daily in the I'M
rest of the horses subjected to It, and
the eagerness with which they stretch
out their necks the moment the rein is
removed
Checkreins cause more stiff shoulders
al ~
combined. and is the cause OF more
suffering in a single week than is pro
duced by all other causes which infiict
pain on dumb and helpless animals in
a whole year throughout the world
A checkrein is tight and painful which
holds the head one inch above its
natural position. The overdraw
check destroys the grace and beauty
Of the neck and head and imparts
distressed appearance. Wien tight 1t
is a positive torture, and its use
should be forbidden by law.
In England in the last few years
small society of ardent workers
known as the "Anti-Bearing Rein AS
ISOLATION" Cncluding among them
the several social leaders OF the high
est rank). has succeeded in neutraliz-
ing TO a notable extent this perfectly
useless cruelty. But in our country
it still holds, and its votaries are
seemingly as far from the realization
Of the effects OF their senseless bru-
tality as ever. o
The overhead checkrein Ia cruel
and useless fashion, Is only used by
thoughtless, cruel or ignorant people.
Where a checkTein must be used, lee
Il to be a sidecheck, and have 1t long
enough to allow the horse the free
use of its head when going UP hill. On
either ascents or descents horse
needs the free use OF his head, which
is then always lowered, and of great
assistance No horse can draw as
much or travel as far when checked
as when his head is free. To check a
horse beyond its natural position
causes intense suffering Why do
horses that are checked very high, toss
their heads even higher? Because the
checkrejn prevents them from lower
ing their heads, and the agony OF their
position forces them TO twitch In a
vain effort to relieve themselves. High
checkreins cause injury TO the neck
muscles, to the lungs, to the blood
vessels, TO the nerves and even 70 the
knees. II also tends to produce dis
tortion Of the windpipe which causes
difficulty in breathing, and frets the
temper OF nervous and excitable
horses. Paralysis OF the muscles Of
the face, coma. apoplexy, megrims, in
fiammation and various other, dis
eases. are caused by the use Of this
senseless device
The overdraw check is disgrace to
civilization. II causes pain and dis
tress in breathing. induces roaring
and shortens life. BY its use the head
is held in such a strained and unnat-
ural position, that the eyes are ex-
posed 10 the full glare OF the sun,
and to the wind and rain, which is
both painful and injurious, and ! have
been informed that in some cases
that the horse wearing this rein Is
found at the end OF a sharp spin to be
bleeding from the mouth and nose. An
American writer has described il as
"a foolish contrivance to torture, which
has not one excuse. and Leland Stan
ford, Americas model horseman,
would not permit the outrageous con
trivance'- overdraw check-on
any of his horses.
There is an important difference
between a tight checlrein and a
frightened rein, although not generally
understood. The first is injurious,
and cannot help the horse; while the
latter is often useful. Because the lat
ter is a steady support to the animals
head from a distinct and intelligent
source-the driver; whereas, the
former is only the horses head fast
ened to his own shoulders. That the
checkrein is inconsistent with the ac-
ton Of the horses head. is clearly
shown by the fact, that, when a horse
falls 1t is always broken.
would therefore say. that. instead
Of preventing horses from falling. the
checkrein is calculated to render fall
ing more frequent. and has often pre-
vented an old horse from recovering
from a stumble.
The agitation against this form OF
cruelty was begun in England about
forty years ago, and since that time