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When a Canadian family party, traveling in winter over ice covered rivers and swamps, is so unlucky as to cross a place where the horse sinks, they save him from drowning, and themselves from the danger of sharing the same fate, by pulling a rope so arranged that it chokes him. The water being thus prevented from entering his gullet or windpipe, he floats on the surface, and it only requires a long and firm pull to bring him to solid ground, when the rope being relaxed he quickly recovers his wind and is ready once more to start on his journey.

Perhaps profiting by this example, a similar means has been adopted with success for stopping runaway and subduing infuriated horses whether in riding or driving. It consists of a rein composed partly of thread-covered cat-gut, and partly of common leather, one end of which is attached to the bridle at the top of the horse’s head, while the other rests at the pummel of the saddle, or on the coach box, as the case may be. Running upon the cat-gut part by means of loops, is a short cross piece of cat-gut which rests against the windpipe of the animal, ready to be pulled up against it by taking hold of the nearer end of the rein. A quick and firm pull, to stop the breathing of the animal, is all that is necessary to bring him to an instantaneous pause. He may be in a state of panic, running off with the bit between his teeth in spite of every ordinary means of checking him: but no sooner does he feel the stricture on his breathing than he is conscious of being outwitted and nonplussed and becomes instantly as quiet as a lamb; at the same time he keeps quite firm upon his legs—the check not being by any means calculated to bring him down. On the contrary, from the position in which it places the horse, his shoulders being brought up, and being pressed back upon his haunches, the check is, indeed, calculated to keep him up.