Bearing rein
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The bearing rein, also called a checkrein, was a type of rein once used on horses but now considered a form of animal cruelty. The bearing rein either holds the horse's head stretched high and straight, or pulls a horse's neck back with its nose pulled down toward its chest, forcing its neck into a severe arc that was considered beautiful. It was mostly used on fancy carriage horses to make them appear noble and graceful, and to strictly control their movements.
The bearing rein was painful and dangerous for horses, in that it put a strain on the neck muscles and ligaments, put the animal off balance while it was trying to pull a load, and made breathing difficult. A horse pulling weight normally lowers and extends its neck in order to distribute the load, but a bearing rein prevented this action. Neck and back injury easily occurred and horses became useless as working animals much more quickly.
The novel Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (1877) was partly a checkrein protest novel, bringing to the publics attention the cruel use of bearing reins on horses, as well as other practices such as docking. The book was the main force that caused checkreins to fall out of favor in the eyes of the public.
A form of checkrein is still used in some equestrian sports, but it is only used to guide the horse's movements and does not impede its motion or cause discomfort.
