ILL-FITTING HARNESS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19691, 19 January 1926, Page 4

ILL-FITTING HARNESS.

CAUSE OF MANY VICES. NEED FOR PROPER CARE. Much depends upon the tractive power of the horse, and its effective utilisation necessitates the adoption of harness which will not in any degree tend to depreciate the value of his strength. The price of all horses, whether used for light or heavy draught, is extremely high, and, oven apart from considerations of comfort, it 21111st bo remembered that while securing this, it miist not cause more lhan the unavoidable minimum of discomfort.' No horse put in harness should suffer any inconvenience except that arising from fatigue. Unfortunately, however, through lack of knowledge of the proper adjustment of harness, many horse® do suffer considerable pain while at work. This gradually leads to temporary incapacity, and in some cases to permanent injuria-, such as fistulous withers, etc. Many vices—for example, jibbing and bolting—have their origin in badly-fitting harness. When the horse is compelled to work in an unsuitable collar, the undue pressure on any part of the shoulder causes chaffing and soreness, and the horse naturally recoils from what causes him agony. Ultimately, the best-tempered beast becomes vicious and uncontrollable, through nothing but culpable ignorance on the part of his driver. Every horse differs in size and shape (writes a New South Wales departmental expert), and to fit him properly it is necessary to use much care. It is not sufficient to depend upon the saddler to fit horses with their harness. The owner should know the use and proper adjustment of every part. Wrung shoulders frequently occur through leaving the selection to the saddler, who, rather than go to the trouble of obtaining a proper collar for a horse that is difficult to suit, may choose the nearest fit in his ready-made stock, and justify his choice by the contention that the collar will soon adjust itself to the shape of the shoulder. If it is not a good fit in the first instance, it will never become so/ and in the socalled self-adjustment it is quite possible that the horse will be permanently injured.