They further told him that their neighbors had said it was not safe to give up check-reins altogether on all kinds of horses, and asked if such was the case.
“That is quite true,” Mr. Graham answered, “and I'm glad the subject was mentioned. There are some horses that it would be dangerous to drive without some kind of a check-rein; very fresh, unruly or vicious horses require something to prevent their getting their heads down and running away, but the rein should always be so loose that when a horse has his head in proper position the snaffle-bit will hang down from the corners of the mouth instead of being drawn up into the cheeks.
“Mr. Sidney says,” continued Mr. Graham, “that the object of a check-rein should be to divide the weight with the driver's hands so that when the horse drops his head below a certain point the weight of his mouth will come on the check-rein instead of upon the driver's hands. It also prevents horses, when standing still, from rubbing their heads against each other or against the pole where the bit is liable to be caught and cause an accident. Properly fitted, the check-rein does no harm and may be the means of preventing runaways, but unless it is slack when the horse has his head in a natural position it is not properly fitted. If a horse naturally carries his head down, like a pig, he is not suited for a carriage anyway, and should be employed solely as a working horse.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Charley, “and Mr. Webb also said that there are horses which cannot be driven safely without blinders.”