HARNESS
The harness has two fundamental functions: first, to attach the horse to the vehicle, so that he may pull it; second, to enable the coachman to guide the horse. The elements of all harness, therefore, are: the collar, hames, and traces, and the bridle, bit, and reins.
The pulling part—the collar, hames and traces—should, of course, be first of all strong and then as light as will fulfil their purpose; the guiding part—the bridle, bit, and reins—should first of all be light, but strong enough to hold the horse. Whether you buy harness, or use harness, or wish to be guided in examining and keeping in repair your own harnesses, these are the underlying principles of the whole subject.
All questions of form or fads or personal peculiarity must first conform to these principles, otherwise the harnessing will be wrong. From judging the appointment classes at a horse show to the buying of a harness for your children's pony, these first principles of what a harness should be apply rigidly.
Unless there is a rational basis to go upon in all these matters, form and style and so on are mere silliness. As an example of this, there is the absurd dictum in this country that a lady should sit on the right side of her own carriage, due, of course, to the fact that in England vehicles pass to the left, which of course makes the right side the prominent side. In this country vehicles pass to the right, which of course makes the left side the prominent, and, for purposes of seeing and being seen, the more convenient side. This is a very happy illustration of vehicular toadyism, or of so-called "form," which is simian, rather than sensible. Wherever, therefore, in the matter of manners and appointments on the road, from the harnessing, furnishing, and handling of a pony cart to a "drag," you are met with a statement or given advice that has no rational sanction, be sure you are wrong and investigate further.
A similar question to the above is the much-mooted one as to whether the reins, particularly in four-in-hand driving, should be buckled or left unbuckled. When the mail-coaches were making the best time possible from stage to stage or when the amateur whip was making the best time possible in imitation thereof, it was claimed that a certain amount of time was saved at the end of each stage by doing away with the unbuckling of the reins. True, time was saved, and with professional coachmen there was the minimum of danger from dropping a rein. But nowadays, in driving a coach, either on the road or in the park, the safety, comfort, and pleasure of the passengers are first of all important, and the seconds saved in unbuckling reins are of no consequence.
PLATE XX.