FIG. 5.—SHORTENING REINS BY SLIDING LEFT HAND
UP TO RIGHT.
|Fit of gloves.| The fit of the gloves may seem a very trivial matter to the uninitiated, but it is not considered such by the expert coachman.
Any one attempting to drive with tight “masher” gloves will find his hand cramped in a very short time. All his power is taken up in trying to keep his hand shut and wrestling with his gloves, and not as it should be in holding the reins tight.
It is difficult in fact to have them too large.
They should be made of dogskin, and when new, at least one inch longer than the fingers, and rather larger, also very loose indeed across the palm of the hand and wrist. They will very soon shrink down and become the right size, after the hand has got damp in them once or twice.
It is a good plan to punch a few round holes in the back of the gloves to keep the hand cool.
The leather should be hard and tough, but not too thick. Strapping inside is apt to make gloves clumsy and very awkward for driving, especially with four reins.
|Woollen gloves.| Woollen gloves should always be carried, as they are the most comfortable in wet weather, and the reins do not slip through them.
|Carriage rugs.| Never drive without a rug or apron of some kind. A light cloth or cotton one may be used in summer, but for the winter it is far better to have a thick one of box cloth warmly lined. When choosing an apron, remember to get one with a V-shaped piece let in at the top; this adds greatly to one’s comfort if there are two people in the cart, as it allows of the sides being tucked under, and thus keeps out both cold and wet very much better than one without the V let into it.
|Hints on building dog-cart.| A dog-cart is the handiest of two-wheeled carts for all-round purposes, and therefore the one in most general use; so that a few hints on the selection or building of such a vehicle may be of use to those who have not had much practical experience in that line. At the same time I would strongly recommend that when buying a carriage of any kind professional advice should, if possible, be obtained, since no one without experience can possibly find out faulty workmanship or detect defects in the material.