FIG. 3.—SINGLE HARNESS—RIGHT HAND IN WRONG POSITION.
|Never move reins in left hand.| It cannot be too strongly impressed on the beginner, that whether the right hand is on the reins or not, they should always be of the same length in the hand, and never be allowed to slip.
The right hand should never on any account take the off rein out of the left hand. It is the first and most important law of driving, that the reins, as held in the left hand, should be of such a length as to keep the horse straight, and should remain at that length, whether the right hand is being used on one or other of them or not.
No coachman who drives with a rein in each hand can be said to know his business, and yet it is one of the commonest things to be seen in London.
|Do not job horse’s mouth.| Never use the whip on the horse unnecessarily, and never job him in the mouth except to punish him for doing something wrong. Nevertheless, for a horse which is inclined to kick, jobbing is very useful when applied at the right time, more especially if accompanied by a sharp hit with the whip over his ears.
|Never hit a shier.| The whip should never be used on a shier, it will only frighten him, and confirm him in the habit, which is caused by nervousness and not by vice. Encourage him rather by |Use the voice.| speaking to him, as there is nothing a horse learns to understand quicker than his master’s voice.
Do not flap the reins on his back either to start him or to make him increase his pace.
|Pace should be steady.| Learn to drive at a steady and even pace. From eight to nine miles an hour will usually be found most suitable to average horses, but do not on any account drive sometimes at six miles and sometimes at ten. Nothing tires a horse so much as constantly changing the pace.
|Start slow.| It is usually better to start a little slower, especially if you have a long way to go.