Riding and Driving

by Edward L. Anderson; Price Collier

To know the whole game, and to do it supremely well, requires many, many months of constant and studious practice. The easier it looks, the more capable is the man who makes it look easy to you. Do not for a moment be deceived into thinking that it is really easy. The consequences of thinking so may contain, not only disasters of the most awkward kind, but death also.

Begin at the very beginning, with the harnessing and putting to of your horses. Depend only upon a good and trustworthy builder for your vehicle. If you buy a second-hand one, choose it with a friend who knows what such a vehicle should be, and then have it gone over thoroughly by your carriage builder.

Of the harnessing of the horses we have already written. It needs to be added, that in harnessing four all the details of fit and stoutness of leather and proper bitting should be more than ever looked after. Before your horses are brought out have the pole in its place and the lead-bars hung on the pole-hook. Have a look yourself to see that the pole-pin is securely in its place. Bring out your wheelers, hook the pole-chains to the kidney-link ring, giving ample room to back them so that the traces may be put over the roller-bolts,—outside trace first, then the inside one,—then tighten the pole-chains by passing the hook through the kidney-link ring from the inside out so that it will come out away from the pole. The length of this chain must depend upon the good or bad roads you are proposing to drive over, and upon other things already discussed (Chapter XIII.). When your horses are poled up, they are drawn toward the pole, and you will notice that the inside trace is therefore shorter than the outside trace. This difference should be taken up by enlarging the inside roller-bolt by wrapping it, never by punching holes in the trace, and thus weakening it. Then fasten the coupling-reins to their bits, and fasten your reins over your off wheeler's pad-terret, or let them be drawn through above the trace and tug-buckle from the front, back.

Then bring out your leaders and fasten their traces to their bars. The leaders may be put to with their traces on their own bars; with the traces crossed on the inside, each horse working off his mate's bar; with the traces crossed, but each horse working off his own bar. The first is best for well-trained, evenly working horses. The second is advocated by those who consider that this method makes the work more even, and keeps the lazy horse up to his work. The third is mainly to keep the leaders more together. The bars of the leaders may be fastened together with a strap for the same reason. Never use a chain for this purpose as, in case of a leg over the trace or any similar accident, a chain cannot be cut and promptly undone.

This lapping of the traces is a matter each man should work out for himself, after noticing how his particular leaders go most comfortably. This lapping of the traces also keeps the traces away from the horses' sides, and in hot or muddy weather this is a consideration.

Buckle your coupling-reins to the bits, run them through their terrets, and, together with the wheel-reins, push them through from in front above the trace and tug-buckle of the off leader.

Put up your thong, lay the whip over the wheelers' backs, and as a precaution push the end of it between the back-strap. If your whip is in the socket, it is in your way in getting up, it may be broken by your passengers, or it may be played with by an ignorant passenger and dropped, or at any rate, the thong loosened. If the whip is placed across the toe-board no one can mount to the box-seat while it is there. If you are driving alone and studying your team, the whip is better on the toe-board, where it is not easily displaced and does not annoy the wheelers; otherwise the best place is across the backs of the wheelers. A piece of steel covered with leather on the lead-reins (Fownes of London used ivory) just in front of the coupling-buckle prevents these slipping through the lead-terrets, as may easily happen if either horse plunges or hangs back.

If no bearing-reins are used, the throat-latches should be snug, since they alone hold the bridle on the horse's head. In breaking in a team, bearing-reins properly adjusted do no harm and are a safeguard. If necessary, start with them very loose and shorten them when the horse is warmed up, and his neck muscles are more pliable. If the bearing-reins are fastened up before the start, there will be backing, rearing, and jibbing, all of which may be obviated by tightening the bearing-reins after the start.

If you are to drive over good level roads, your wheelers may be placed as near the coach as will enable them to go at a good gait without hitting the splinter-bar or wheels. The length of wheel-traces should be about ninety-seven inches, of the lead-traces about ninety inches. With smaller horses the traces are, of course, proportionately shorter. A long drawn out team is hard on the arm and hand, not so easily manœuvred, and, being farther from their work and from you, not so likely to be easily handled.