The overcheck was a device originating in the Harness Racing world. Used to keep the speed horse from dropping his nose, allowing clear airflow from nostrils to lungs. No excuse for horse to slow down at speed in races. Since many of the horses were used at home as well as raced at first, the device became common as a “part” of the harness, instead of an option, when harness maker sold them. Like sidechecks, the overcheck prevented horse getting his head down, perhaps grabbing grass, kicking up his heels in work. You KNOW that any piece of harness included in a set, MUST be used!! Have to get your money’s worth!
MANY animals in the East, were of Morgan descent, used in Standardbred breeding. The mixes were often used as speedsters on the common road, and did better when checked up to open the breathing tubes. No bend at the throatlatch like sidechecks promote. Even with the driver pulling reins, balancing horse at speed, he didn’t slow down with overcheck on. There is always a market for a speedy horse, even if he isn’t fast enough to race. Many family stories about “Getting to church behind the old mare”, ahead of the neighbor so you weren’t dusty from following. Mare may look plain, but that old mare could trot 2:30 which was pretty good time at the early days of the Standardbreds. She just stretched out her nose and flew. Especially good speed, going on those bad roads, pulling the whole family and buggy along!
With so many of these horses being bred for racing first, then slow ones moving to family sales, all are broke out with overchecks. When you check them up, they are “ON”, time to work. Show ring horses are the same, Hackney, Fancy Morgans, Saddlebreds. Check rein means “show time”, they get animated. People tend to stay with what horse is used to. Only recently have we ever asked horses to go round. Look at old photos, they are driving lots of lanky, speedy looking, plain-headed horses. Change the vehicle, same style hitching in front of the race bike as the buggy. Pretty much all wearing snug, uplifting checkreins, with overchecks the preferred one. Here in the Midwest, Standardbreds were easy and cheap to come by. So was all the equipment they used, including overchecks, so that is what folks used.
You don’t see much in checkreins, either kind, on art or photos of family driving horses out west. Those animals needed their necks for balance, working in the hard going of mountains, rough ground. City drivers might have checks, but not the ranch horses, freighters before railroads. Too hard on the working horses, dangerous if restricted horse could not get his balance back, on narrow trails.
Checkreins are a device to help driver retain control, easier. When drivers were out for hours, all day going places, or stopping to stand around for long times, the checkreins kept the horses from getting in trouble. Saved the drivers arms, he didn’t nag quite so much. In multiples, they could not easily rub heads to remove bridles or tangle reins. Not tempted to graze, they learned they couldn’t get heads down.
As with any device, if a little is good, a lot of tightening must be better!! Style setters used tight reins, often copied by others. So seeing horses checked up hard, was common. They had all sorts of reasons for doing it, while common sense horsemen could not convince them differently. Quite like many horse practices still seen today!! I don’t think checkreins are any help in making horse work off his rear end, because they throw the front end out of balance. Going pretty straight in racing bike for short times of an hour or so, is very different than working for several hours, pulling a load down the road.
Again, folks use harness styles, gimmicks, what they are used to seeing, what they grew up with, or others they think experienced, tell them is good equipment. We listen to folks that we think drive well, doing what style of driving we wish to copy!
If you can safely work horse with no checkrein, that is the best way to do it. As in Dressage, the horse will be better able to use his body, develop the correct muscling. As you mentioned, he has lots of mucle developed underneath his neck from leaning on the checkrein. It should be reduced and disappear over time, as his back comes up, and he uses his neck correctly. It will take some time, but is not an impossible goal for him.
