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It

THE USE OF BEARING REINS.

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perhaps catching their bits in the pole chains, which I have seen occur more than once. In former days I remember bearing reins on `the road.' They were discarded, from the fancy, I suppose, that horses worked freer without them. I think they did, but if they got a bit tired, or if they were not of a good sort, they often got their heads down, and lolled about and bored till they made your arms ache.

Athol Maudslay, in his Highways and Horses says : "The celebrated coaching song of' the last century was The Tantivy Trot. It ran as follows

Here's to the arm that can hold them when gone, Still to a gallop inclined, sir;

Heads in the front, with no bearing reins on, Tails with no cruppers behind, sir.

If this was the coaching song of the last century, it only proves that the coachmen of those days had more good sense than is possessed by their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the coachmen of the present day. This verse exactly expresses my own opinion as to bearing reins and cruppers. No bearing rein should be used on any account whatever it is a most abominable practice. A horse, if' he be worth anvthing and has good shoulders, will hold his head well enough without any hearing rein, and the whole position of the animal will be more natu-

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