Proper uses of tack/training equiptment to prevent abuse

We had a good discussion about some of the the uses of of various types of tack for training liberty horses the other day. A lot of training equipment is grossly misunderstood by folks who are not familiar with it or it's proper use. Examples being whips, sticks, bull hooks, spurs, bits, etc. etc. One person objected to a liberty horse leaning/bobbing his head on the bit, and one person objected to an over check which keeps them from leaning/bobbing their head on the bit. These are folks who have enjoyed many trained horse acts with those thoughts. Imagine what the AR or folks who don't enjoy trained animals must think. I found this photo above from about the 1800's when a bearing rein or over check was banned for use on carriage horse's. In the case of carriage horse's it was inhumane as a horse has to put it's head down some what to lean into the collar. In shaft carts there is not the need to lean forward to move the weight. Another way to look at inhumane is in the case of liberty horses "naked" for an individual to get bit, snapped at or kicked by a member of the act, so he goes out of place, while the trainer has to correct him and put him back in place. Between a rock and a hard spot is not a pleasant situation.

Excerpted from Rara Equis:
What are bearing reins? Bearing reins were a type of horse tack used in the 1800's to elevate a carriage horse's head. These reins were uncomfortable and even painful for horses and were abolished partially in part to the protest raised by Anna Sewell's novel Black Beauty.

A form of bearing rein is used today, but is a much more humane device. Today most horse harnesses include a overcheck or sidecheck- which are comparable to a bearing rein but are adjusted more humanely. An overcheck helps a horse maintain their balance and gives a handler more control- An overcheck does not force the horse's head up painfully, but is usually set at the horse's optimal natural carriage. Occasionally, a bearing rein type device is still used on horses ridden by children or disabled adults. A loosely adjusted bearing type rein (usually more like a sidecheck) allows a horse to carry their head naturally, but prevents a horse from dropping their neck to graze or snatching reins out of a riders hands- both actions that can cause an insecure or disabled rider to fall and be injured.

Even though use of the bearing rein was discontinued nearly 100 years ago, the practical applications of bearing reins- applied in more humane manners- are still useful today.

Sacha Houcks horse and elephant act on Ringling Bros. Circus

Western Plains Zoo--Dubbo, Australia

Heman, Taronga's bull in his new digs at Dubbo. Being involved in the moving of a younger bull who was not experienced at being transported, I can only guess at the nightmare of moving a more mature male. He appears to have lost quite a bit of weight in these photos, compared to the photos at Taronga. The female is named Burma and is from the Bullens Circus. What's her story, Steve.

I suggest if Derby's place had a facility as large as this the Nic/Gyp issues might not have escalated to the point of permanent seperation,

The old Elephant exhibit at the Taronga Zoo.

Old Elephant building above before it was rehabbed for Wild Asia.
Above is their bull Heman who was moved to Dubbo Zoo. Good looking bull with a massive neck. Does anyone know how old he is, and how he lost his left tusk?

Elephant Exhibit--Taronga Conservation Society--Sydney

The original elephant house refurbished above and the new elephant exhibit/Wild Asia exhibit below.


Reportedly Wild Asia was constructed at a cost of over 31 million Australian dollars. It is insane to believe that the best they could come up with for "environmental enrichment" in this beautiful exhibit is a truck tire chained to a tree. All that money, and they transform you back to the old "road side" menagerie gorilla/primate exhibits. Inconceivable!!!!!

Wild Asia--Taronga Conservation Society-- Australia

Wild Asia is a display of Asian rainforest animal species which comprises 10 animal exhibit areas, 7 animal holding facilities, and 15 public visitor facilities. The precinct simulates an Asian rainforest setting, featuring both plants and animals typical of the region. Wild Asia is home to more than 24,000 plants, Malayan tapir, small-clawed otter, binturong, chital, silvery gibbon, Francois langur, fishing cat, 45 bird species in two aviaries and elephants.


One of the two tapir exhibits provides above ground viewing, the other one below water viewing. They are interconnected with each other and with the Binturong exhibit for mixed species display. The adjacent otter exhibit also has tunnel connection to one of the tapir exhibits for this purpose. All these exhibits are serviced by a central holding building that allows connections between holding areas as well. It is a multi-purpose holding area for various species. Entrance to the Fishing Cat exhibit area in the photos below.

Fishing Cat exhibit--Taronga Conservation Society-- Australia

The fishing cat exhibit is next to the tapir exhibit in order to represent how the species share similar habitats for different reasons - the tapirs for swimming and the fishing cats to prey on fish. Although the water systems in the two exhibits are separate, the intended perception is that of one river system flowing through a typical Southeast Asian rainforest.