|Hames.| The hames should fit the groove in the collar, which should be well recessed, correctly all round and be buckled up tightly, otherwise in double harness they are very liable to be pulled out when going down hill, or when pulling up suddenly. |Hames straps.| To prevent this, a small strap may be buckled round the bottom of the collar over the hame links.
With a pair, the hames straps should be buckled on so that the ends point inwards.
The traces should be of such a length that |The traces.| the backband will lie on about the middle of the pad when the horse is in draught; the horse will then not be drawing the cart by the backband. Care should be taken that the tugs are in front of the stops on the shaft, or a bad accident may occur owing to the cart running on to the horse’s quarters.
|The reins.|
The width of the reins may vary from seven-eighths of an inch to an inch and a quarter, according to the length of the driver’s fingers, but about one inch will be found the most suitable width for general purposes. The reins should not be too thick, or they will always be hard and stiff, while, on the other hand, if they are very thin, they will be uncomfortably soft in wet weather.
|Backband.| In a two-wheeled cart the backband ought to be long enough to allow the shafts to hang level. There ought always to be a little weight on the shafts, as nothing looks so vulgar as shafts pointing up to the skies, with all the weight on the belly-band. |Shafts and balance of cart.| It must be borne in mind that by letting down the shafts the balance of the cart can be very considerably altered. This alteration is often useful when there are four people in the cart, as few dog-carts balance well with this number, the weight being nearly always on the belly-band. Few owners thoroughly appreciate what misery their friends undergo when made to occupy a back seat under these conditions, as they so rarely try it themselves.
The belly-band should not hang down |Belly-band.| quite loose, but, while allowing a little play of the shafts, should be tight enough to prevent them from tipping up to any extent.
|Girth of pad.| The pad as well as the crupper should be buckled up pretty tight if there are any steep hills to go down, and a breeching is not used; otherwise the pad will slip forward and gall the horse’s withers. Sore withers give a great deal of trouble and are difficult to cure. Another result of the pad slipping forward is chafing of the horse’s elbows. On some horses the only way to prevent it is to fasten the girth back to the shaft on each side by means of straps. This plan is frequently used in hansoms in London. The pad itself should be well stuffed off the back, particularly with high-withered horses.
|The blinkers.| The blinkers should be so fitted that the horse’s eyes come almost in the middle of them, while the headstall should be tight enough to prevent the blinkers from bulging out when pressure is put on the bit, and thus enabling the horse to see behind him; but they should be fitted so as not to turn inwards and almost touch the eyes. |Horse’s comfort reflected in manner of going.| This is a point which is very often little attended to, but one which makes a considerable difference to the horse’s comfort, and is naturally reflected in his manner of going.
The throat-lash should not be fastened too |Throat-lash.| tight; if it is, it will half choke the horse. It should be loose enough to allow three fingers to be passed between it and the horse’s throat.