C. Morley Knight

“ There are many horses that would be undrivable without one, as it keeps their heads in the proper position, and thus takes the weight off the driver’s hand. When driving a young horse or a bad kicker it is always advisable to have a loose one on, as it will prevent him from becoming unmanageable by putting his head between his legs. The American pattern, which passes from the bearing-rein hook on the pad over the top of the horse’s head, through a keeper on the headpiece between his ears, down to the bridoon is very useful for a hard puller. ”

“ DRIVING FOUR HORSES—POSITION OF COACHMAN. In order to learn to drive four horses as they should be driven, it is necessary to begin by studying the rules and general principles of this most fascinating amusement. To the lovers of this pastime nothing is more enjoyable than sitting behind a perfect and well-appointed team skilfully driven. |Constant practice necessary.| It is most essential for one who would become a thoroughly efficient whip to have several years of constant practice, and even when this has been obtained, it will be found that there is still always something to learn. ”

“ A team of horses, or better still of ponies, can also be driven in the poled dog-cart, provided that the pole has the hook referred to before at the end of it.
Four horses look altogether too big, and the team is too long for the short cart behind it; but a team of ponies, although they also look rather too long, are very much better; and the slight disadvantage of appearance is well counterbalanced by the pleasure of driving them, and by the ease with which long distances can be covered without distress. ”

“ It looks very awkward to drive with the right hand held out a long way from the left, and it is also quite unnecessary.
|Always keep right hand on reins at night. | For those who have not much experience, it is far better to keep the right hand always on the reins, and particularly so at night, when the hand should never be taken away unless it is required for the purpose of using the whip. Rarely pull one rein singly, as described for pointing the leaders in a coach, except when looping a lead rein in order to turn a sharp corner, or to execute a quick bend to get through traffic. ”

“ In conclusion, I would remind the reader that “Prevention is better than cure,” and in breaking a horse to harness every precaution should be taken from the very beginning of his education, for when a young horse has once been hurt or frightened, it is a very difficult thing to persuade him that the same thing may not occur again, and many a naturally quiet and generous horse is ruined for harness work, or rendered nervous for life, simply owing to carelessness or to want of ordinary precautions during his first two or three lessons. ”

“ Before starting have the rugs taken off quietly, not snatched off, and, as soon as you are ready, make the grooms stand well clear of the horses’ heads. Then start them as quietly as possible, devoting all your skill to getting the coach under weigh at once, without pulling at the horses’ heads, as nothing irritates horses so much, or is more apt to make them jib, than jerking their mouths, or having to pull up and start afresh. As soon as they are well started, you can bring your hand back a little and feel their mouths properly. ”

“ Should the whip get fast in the bough of a tree or a |Lash caught in tree.| lamp-post, on the near side, the only thing to do is to let it go at once, letting your hand go well up and over to the left. You will then avoid hitting the passenger on the box seat. Constant practice with the whip is absolutely essential; no one can drive well until he has thorough control over it, and is able to manipulate it in such a way that the horse struck is the only one which knows that it is being used. ”

“ Very often, when the wheelers are boring to one side going down hill, and the whip is required, it is useful to loop up the wheeler’s rein on the opposite side to which they are boring, before using the whip.
|Do not lean forward when looping.| Be careful, when stretching out the right hand in order to take up the lead rein to loop it, not to lean the body forward, as it looks very bad, and almost invariably shows that the left hand is holding the reins too short and is too far away from the body. ”

“ This tendency will be found to disappear if a practised hand takes the reins, without the aid of the whip. A want of lightness of hand is usually the cause, and a want of give and take to the horses’ mouths. Probably the wrist is kept too stiff, and the pressure on the horses’ mouths is as a result uneven, too much being applied at one moment and not enough the next. To keep an even feeling on the horses’ mouths the hand must be allowed to move backwards and forwards a little, and there should be plenty of play from the wrist. ”

“ On the other hand, it is very unsafe to bring your right hand on to the reins unless the lash has been brought well into the cart, as it may easily be caught up round the axle or get under the wheel; and, as a rule, if the wheel goes over it, it will break off at that spot next time you use it.
It is often very convenient to have the whip ready to hit the leader at a particular place or corner which he is likely to want to go round. To do this unwind the lash, and keep the point of the stick out to the right front. ”

“ You can also tighten the curb-chains, or put the reins lower down on the bits. Do not pull at your horses more than you can help, but directly you feel that they are getting the best of you stop at once, and if possible give them up to another driver. |Pace should suit the slowest horse.| If three of the team can go ten miles an hour, and the fourth horse only eight, keep the three back to the slow one, for you cannot make him go up to the others without galloping. When, however, you are on a road coach, it is better to let the slow horse gallop than to lose time. ”

“ It is a good plan at this stage to lead the horse about by the rope halter, with a man on each side ready to assist, while the driver walks with the reins in his hand on the off side of the cart. He can thus guide him without getting up, while the weight which the horse has to pull to begin with is materially reduced.
|When quiet get up into cart.| If he goes along all right, mount into the cart and drive him about, keeping a man running alongside for a little, when, if he continues to go well, the man can jump up behind. ”

“ TANDEM DRIVING. |Principles of tandem driving.| The fundamental principles of tandem driving are very naturally almost the same as those of driving a coach. But the chief difference between the two styles arises from the fact that both horses in a tandem turn much more quickly and with far less pressure on the reins, more especially the leader, than the pair of horses, either wheel or lead, in a coach. Furthermore, the tendency to wobble about the road is much greater, necessitating a much more frequent use of the right hand ”

“ Perhaps the best general guide is to give the leader the office when his head is abreast of the centre of the road to be turned down. More than this it is useless to say, as everything depends on the width of the road and the angle of the turn. It is, however, always a safe thing to take as much room as possible, and it is therefore a good plan before arriving at the corner to pass off to the opposite side of the road, provided the traffic will allow this to be done. ”

“ As a rule those in use are so low that the horses’ quarters are in front of the footboard instead of being under it, and the driver is consequently too far from his work. In modern breaks the driving seat and boot are built almost exactly like those of a coach, where the footboard is well over the horses’ quarters. That portion of the footboard which comes over the roller bolts should be about five feet from the ground, which gives room for the horses underneath. ”

“ The beginner who has mastered the foregoing pages will, I trust, find that he is thoroughly grounded in the theory and principles of driving, and his interest will, I hope, be roused to such an extent as to induce him so to turn theory into practice, that with time and perseverance he will develop into a neat and skilful whip. ”

“ Each end of the breast strap has a buckle, into which both the trace and the end of the breeching are fastened. Of course it is impossible to get as much work out of a horse with breast harness as with collars.
|Whip.| The whip should be as light as possible, and well balanced, the thong being about half the length of the stick. The points should always be of leather, as these are much the best in wet weather. |Always hang whip up.| A whip should never be allowed to stand in a corner or up against a wall, as it will very quickly warp in that position. ”

“ Nothing tends more to make horses jib than holding on to their heads at the moment of starting. |Wheelers start the coach.| The wheelers ought to start the coach, and this can be effected by touching them with the whip if they require a hint. Do not, however, on any account hit a wheeler which is inclined to jib, but make the others get the coach moving.
To be able to start horses well is perhaps the most difficult thing which the young driver has to learn. ”

“ The horses turn so quickly, that the wheeler can see the leader coming round almost before the lead rein can be seized with the left thumb, and tandem reins being very close together, it is difficult for the right hand to catch the wheeler’s rein in time to check him. ”

“ The small extra expense and trouble which the leader entails are fully compensated for by the extra enjoyment which everyone feels when driving behind a perfect and well-appointed tandem.
|Idea of tandem being dangerous is erroneous.| It is quite a mistake to suppose that a tandem is necessarily a very dangerous turn-out to sit behind. It is nothing of the sort, if driven by an experienced coachman and the horses are fairly trained. ”

“ It is far better for the beginner to slow down at once, if he is not sure of getting through a tight place, than to go fast up to it, and then have to pull up quite suddenly, if he can pull up at all. This cannot always be done at the last moment, and an accident is the result. |Shortening reins.| As a rule, when it is necessary to pull up in a hurry, the reins cannot be shortened except by throwing up the hands, which, to say the least of it, looks very unbusinesslike. ”

“ The team ought to run perfectly straight at any time with the reins in the left hand only; and as a continuous pressure of the right hand is very liable to cause any one of the reins to slip, especially the near wheel when the horses are pulling, this practice is objectionable. ”

“ If a horse bores to the near side, putting the rein down lower on the off than on the near side will very often make him go straight, and vice versâ. Some horses pull with very sharp bits, and will not do so with a snaffle, while others do just the contrary. A double-ring snaffle covered with leather or made of indiarubber is useful for very light-mouthed horses. ”

“ This is not at all a bad way of breaking a horse, as he cannot do much harm by kicking or plunging, and the block being very light does not teach him to jib.
|Steady horse alongside youngster.| The horse having been taught to pull is now quite fit to be driven in a break or cart. If possible, place him at first in a double break, with a steady old horse alongside of him, which will do all the starting by steady pulling and not by jumping into the collar. Many old break horses are quite up to watching the young one, and start accordingly. ”

“ When the leader is turning nicely round the corner, tighten the little and third fingers on the off-side reins, and apply as much pressure as is necessary by turning the wrist away from the body; thus bringing the little finger closer to it. This will have the effect of checking any tendency of the leader to turn too fast, while also preventing the wheeler from following round too quickly after him, and cutting the corner. ”

“ Many men have been thrown out and had bad accidents simply because of the seat coming away. It is moreover more comfortable if slightly below the top of the sides of the cart. The back and front seats should be so arranged that the cart will balance equally well with one person or four—a result which can be arrived at by having the seats to slide backwards and forwards when more than two people are in the cart. ”

“ To get horses, which have never been in |Tendency to form a pair.| tandem before, exactly to follow one behind the other, requires considerable skill and patience, as it will be found that their common tendency is to get one alongside the other, the wheeler as a rule being anxious to run up alongside the leader. This tendency to form a pair must be checked at once, but without any jerking or hurried pulling at the reins. ”