1. Straps or reins attached to a horse's harness that prevent the animal from lowering its head too far, used to control posture and movement.
Usage: Usually used in plural form; Equestrian/horsemanship context
2. A restraint or control mechanism that limits or restricts action or freedom.
Usage: Figurative use; Less common than the equestrian sense

Examples

• The carriage driver adjusted the checkreins to keep the horse's head elevated.
• Checkreins were commonly used in 19th-century horse-drawn carriages.
• The trainer fitted the young horse with checkreins during training.
• Financial regulations act as checkreins on excessive corporate spending.
• The new policy serves as a checkrein on unauthorized expenditures.