Holding the Reins
The first and second fingers of the left hand are placed between the reins, the left, or near side rein being uppermost that is to say, over the forefinger; the right or off-side rein is then between the second and third fingers. Many persons are seen driving with the forearm and wrist quite straight, and the thumb pointing to the front, while the reins are held near the tips of the fingers. This is wrong. The arm should not be held straight at the side of the body, because then the right hand cannot readily be REINS FOR SINGLE HORSE. brought to the assistance of the left without swaying the body about. The forearm should be carried across the body, so that the hand is opposite the lower waistcoat buttons.
The wrist, instead of being perfectly straight in continuation of the forearm, should be very slightly bent, and the reins, instead of being at the tips of the fingers, in which position the driver has no power over his horse, should lie at the roots of the fingers, and, with the wrist bent as directed above, the top rein will lie just over the lower knuckle of the forefinger. The inner sides of the reins will then be in the palm of the hand, and from the beginning the novice should accustom himself to press the third and fourth fingers on the reins, by which means they will be prevented from slipping. When driving a single horse, this pressure of the third and fourth fingers on the palm of the hand is not absolutely indispensable, but it will be good practice against the time when an attempt is made to drive tandem or four horses, as in both these cases the fingers must be pressed down to prevent slipping. With the reins held as directed, there will be a sense [DRIVING of strength and firmness which will be entirely lacking when the reins are held at the finger tips.
The left hand, of course, must not touch the body, or there will be no power to stop the horses, nor must the hand be held right away aw in front, as delicacy of handling would then be impossible, and the arm would quickly tire. The position must be easy, but the exact number of inches which should separate the hand from the body cannot be laid down. From six to eight inches probably will be found somewhere near the mark for the generality of people with ordinary horses.
Management of the Reins. It stands to reason that no horse can be driven with one hand alone, except on a country road where other vehicles are neither met nor overtaken, and then only when the horse goes so temperately as not to require the assistance of the right hand, which otherwise will be needed from time to time. The second. third, and fourth fingers may be placed between the reins, and the hand may grasp them in front of the left; two fingers (the first and second) may be placed on the right rein to aid in holding the horse, or either rein may be grasped with the right hand when about to turn a corner. The proper way to grasp a rein with the right hand is to put the little finger up against it, and take it with the full hand. For example, suppose it becomes necessary to take up the right rein, the right hand should be placed in front of the left a few inches, more or less, according to the amount of force judged to be required, and slipped in between the reins. At the same time the elbow is allowed to leave the right side, and when the rein is grasped by the right hand the line of the knuckles will be nearly parallel to the reins. If the left rein be taken up, the action will be similar.
One thing there is which beginners and self-taught drivers are frequently apt to do, which never should be done.
When they bring the right hand to the assistance of the left, especially on the right rein, they are very much given to pulling the rein out of the left hand. The reins thus become of unequal length, and if the right hand were removed the horse would immediately be guided to that side on which the rein was tightest. It is extremely difficult to avoid doing this, but the beginner should be ever on the watch, and should remember that in all circumstances the reins must be of equal length in the left hand. If by any chance one of them should be drawn out, it must be slipped back again immediately. The firmer the DRIVING」 third and fourth fingers are pressed upon the rein in the palm of the left hand, the less easy will it be to draw out either rein with the right hand. Another thing to be remembered is that, so far as is possible, the left hand should be kept still and in the same position. More will be said on this point when we come to the driving of four horses. In speaking of keeping the left hand still, beginners may be specially warned against indulging in that most uncoachmanlike and reprehensible practice of jerking the reins, " jobbing" the mouth as it is called, to make the horse quicken his pace. Anybody having any choice in the matter will never اما [Photo. by W. A. Rouch.
SINGLE RALLI CAR. buy a slug, or, if he do chance to become possessed of one, will get quit of him at the earliest opportunity, for there is no pleasure in driving a horse of that kind. Still, his mouth must be never jerked, for the habit once acquired is very difficult to forget, and to job the mouth of a free-going, high couraged horse is to spoil him. If you find yourself behind a sluggish animal he must be driven up to the bit by means of the whip.
The embryo coachman will, as he acquires proficiency in driving, hear a good deal about "hands"; and, although this estimable quality cannot be treated of in few words, the beginner will do well to remember that some advance will have been made if he never use more force on the reins than is absolutely necessary. It is far easier to observe this rule when driving than when riding. When on horseback the rider's balance may be disturbed by any sudden motion of the horse, and a horse, finding himself in company, may begin to pull a little, and thus induce the rider to pull at him. When driving, however, there is considerable security on the box seat, and there is seldom or never occasion to clutch at the reins as unfinished performers in the saddle are apt to do. The coachman should never leave slack rein out. The reins should be gathered up so that with each stride of the horse a slight tug at the reins may be felt that is to say, when a temperate horse is driven; and none other should be driven by a tyro. But even if the animal be somewhat impetuous, care should be taken that no greater pressure should be put upon his mouth than will suffice to hold him.
The driver must give and take with his horse, "dropping his hand" as the phrase goes, when the horse gives him the opportunity, and restraining him when inclined to go too much ahead.
Closely allied to the management of the reins is the use of the legs in driving. They should not be tucked up under the body, with the driver standing on his toes, so to speak; nor, on the other hand, should they be thrust out so as to bring the toes against the dashboard. On the position of the feet when there is no dashboard, the reader is referred to the remarks on driving four horses. The driver should sit well on his seat, and not on the front edge of it, and the legs should be just so far out that the whole of the foot from the heel to the toe is on the footboard, which, in fact, should be to the coachman what the stretcher in a boat is to the oarsman. No one can row properly with the arms alone; neither can he drive properly unless the feet and legs lend their assistance.
The Whip.-Detailed reference to the use of the whip is made in the remarks on the driving of four horses.
DOUBLE HARNESS. - The directions given above for driving a single horse apply in the main to the management of a pair. The manner of holding the reins is the same, and the remarks concerning the right hand apply equally in each case; but, of course, two horses are more difficult to drive than one, because the coachman has to see that both horses share the work equally. In the case of a single horse, he alone has to draw the vehicle, and every indication given to him by his driver determines whether the passage round corners, or between two vehicles, can be made with safety or not. Two horses, on the other hand, cannot be said to be driven unless each does his share towards accomplishing the task. This is partly a question of harnessing, and partly a question of coachmanship. It is an old, but very true, saying that a pair of horses well put together are half driven, and the proper harnessing of two horses is really a more difficult task than the driving of them.
In double harness there are three things to be taken into consideration when putting a pair together-the adjustment of the traces, the adjustment of the coupling reins, and the manner in which the horses are poled up.
The Traces. To take the traces first, these must be so arranged that the horses work evenly. Every one who drives a pair for pleasure, of course, will take care that the horses match tolerably well in point of length and size, so that they may work well and evenly together. The traces should be relatively of the same lengththat is to say, the collars of both horses should be even with each other; both horses should be as near their work as possible, but not so near as to cause the action of the hind legs to be interfered with by the splinter bar. How to put the horses to a vehicle will be best learned by watching some competent person, and asking him to explain the distance which should separate the haunches and backs of the horses from the splinter bar. The traces, once correctly [Photo. by W. A. Rouch.
DOUBLE-HARNESS MAIL PHAETON.
Mr. Walter Winans driving his champions, Cokers Rosador and Proserpine. adjusted, should never be touched, and if the horses do not work together, it is the coupling reins which must be altered, and not the traces.
The Reins. If the reins of pair-horse harness be examined, it will be seen that they are composed of four pieces. There SPLINTER BAR. is one long rein, called the draught rein, which has a buckle halfway in its length, the buckle being (when the rein is in use) at that point which is in the carriage behind the coachman's hands. The ends of this draught rein are buckled to the outside of [DRIVING the bit of each horse-that is to say, one end is buckled to the outside (left side) of the left or near side horse, and the other end to Near sule draught rein.
TIL Off side horses' coupling.
Near side horses coupling.
Off side draught rein. the outside (right side) of the right, or off horse. As it is perfectly clear that two horses could not be driven in this fashion, coupling reins, or couplers, have been designed to give the coachman the necessary control over his horses. Holes are punched in the draught rein at some little distance from the hand part, and from each side of the draught rein runs the coupler, the rein which is fastened to the inside of the bit of each horse. The illustration will make this clear.
Thus it will be seen that when the right or off draught rein is pulled, both horses will receive the indication to turn to the right; the off horse will feel the indication through the medium of the draught rein, and the near side horse through the pull on his coupling; while, if the left rein be pulled, the draught rein acts on the near side of the near horse, and the off horse receives his hint how to turn from the action of the coupling rein, which runs from the near side draught rein to the near side of the off horse. Here, it may be noted that if the direction be given to take up or let out the near or off horse's coupling, the coupling which runs from the opposite draught rein is indicated. The near horse's coupling runs from the off side draught rein, and the off coupling from the near side draught rein.
At first sight the adjustment of these coupling reins would seem to be a very simple matter, but really it requires a good deal of judgment to put a pair of horses properly together. It is seldom that, without great trouble and expense, two horses are found with precisely the same freedom, and, consequently, the coupling reins must be so adjusted that while the freer horse is restrained, the slower has more freedom. The effect of letting out a coupler is to tighten DRIVING] the draught rein, to take up a coupler is to slacken the draught rein; and when one horse is slower than the other, that which is less free should generally be put on the off side, where he can with greater convenience be gently touched with the whip. Coupling Up. In double harness the horses are attached to the carriage by the traces and the pole-chains or pole-pieces, the latter being wide leather straps. Stage coaches, private drags, mail phaetons, and T-carts-in fact, all carriages which are presumably driven by the owner, have polechains, while broughams, victorias, landaus, and all carriages which the coachman drives have pole-pieces. Both pole-chains and been also urged in its favour that with it the horse can hold back the carriage, and can turn more easily than when the ordinary pole is employed. This, like all other new inventions in the matter of harness and carriage fittings, has been slow to make its way into popular favour, and it has never come into anything like general use.
Anyone buying a carriage for two horses, especially a second-hand affair, should be most careful to have the pole examined by an expert to see if any fault can be observed.
A broken pole almost invariably means a frightful accident, although the brakes now almost universally attached to carriages may render valuable assistance. Still, with the [Photo. by W. A. Rouch.
LADY'S GEORGE IV. PHAETON. pole-pieces are fastened to the pole-head, and, when the horses are put to, either chain or piece passes through the kidney link of the harness. The chain is made secure by putting the hook at the end through one of the links of the chain; the pole-piece by the ordinary buckle arrangement. The Kipling pole, as it is called, differs from the ordinary pole-head in that the pole is altogether shorter, reaching no more than an inch or two in front of the horses' chests, and from the end two metal curved arms turned right and left, so that the attachment is very much shorter than either pole-chain or pole-piece.
Several advantages are claimed for it, one of them being that there is no projecting pole to run into other vehicles; while it has pole broken, there are absolutely no means of checking progress, unless the horses be going uphill, in which case the pole would seldom break. On one occasion Jim Carter, when driving the "Quicksilver Mail" down a steep hill, felt his coach lurching and swaying from side to side, and, realising that the pole had broken, promptly set his team into a gallop, and stopped them gradually up the next hill, thus, by his combined nerve and quickness of decision, averting a nasty accident. From time to time the pole should be examined by some competent person, and no consideration should induce anyone to drive with a pole that is defective, or with any makeshift contrivance.
TANDEM DRIVING. -The theory that ! a the driving of two horses tandem fashion arose from hunting men desiring to take on their own hunter in economical fashion and putting him leader, may be at once dismissed as groundless. A far more reasonable theory is that as four horses were used to draw four-wheeled vehicle, the idea occurred to somebody that both the team and the vehicle might be divided, and that two horses might be of as much service to the dog-cart as four were to the coach or travelling chariot. In the main particulars the rules for four-in-hand driving hold good for tandem, but in the harness there is some difference. The tandem cart, a high dogcart, was at one time in great favour as a shooting cart, in the boot of which, when shooting over dogs was more in vogue, a brace of setters or pointers and the luncheon basket could be conveniently carried. Hunting men also did occasionon.
REINS FOR TANDEM. دو a ally drive to meets of hounds, with the horse they intended to ride in the lead, instead of "hacking up and sending him The wheeler in the tandem wears the same harness as the ordinary dog-cart horse, but the leader's pad is of lighter description, being as often as not on the same pattern as that for double harness. For attaching the leader, several plans have been adopted. It was once the custom to have eyes on the shafts, to which the leader's traces were fastened; but this was a most reprehensible practice, for if the leader started, he at once pulled the cart on to the wheeler and caused trouble.
Another plan is to have eyes attached to the tugs of the wheeler's traces, and to these the hooks of the leader's traces are fastened. There is very little to be said against this plan, the only objection in some people's eyes being that there is a rather large scope of trace between the wheeler and the leader; and, in the case of unskilful coachman or an unwilling an [DRIVING leader, the latter may get his legs over the traces should he hang back, while, on the other hand, assuming that hip straps are used to lessen the risk of this in the event of the leader causing the traces to sag unduly, a free-going wheeler may step over them and thus cause an accident. Yet another device is the bara sort of imitation of those used for four-in-hand work. A short chain is attached to the harness, and this chain supports the bar, which is connected by a short strap with another, having a hook at either end, to which the leader's two traces are attached. Unquestionably, this looks smarter than the ordinary long traces, but a leader so equipped should be driven by a very skilful coachman. The traces are very much shorter than on the other plan, and, unless the wheeler be very well in hand and kept back, it is an easy matter to drop the leading bar upon the leader's hocks, and thus cause him to kick should he be that way inclined. What is called the "continuous trace" is an invention by which one trace is made to serve the purpose of both leader and wheeler. In theory it answers exceedingly well, but in practice the objection is that you cannot put on a leader just when you want him without changing the trace; whereas, if the same metal eyes be affixed to the tugs of the wheeler's traces, one horse can be driven at pleasure. The leader should always have what are called loin-straps that is to say, straps crossing the loins, with a loop at either end, through which the traces pass to keep them from dropping to the ground. Not on any account should these straps be omitted, for a leader whose traces are slack from the hames to the end is apt to become very unmanageable. The Tandem Cart.-In olden days it was by no means uncommon to see two horses, fastened tandem fashion, drawing a fourwheeled vehicle. This, however, is a very unsightly arrangement, and there is besides a useless waste of power, for although tandem-driving is very good fun and excellent practice for driving four-in-hand, there can be no possible doubt that two horses harnessed abreast do more work than two placed one in front of the other. All sorts of two-wheeled carts are used for tandem, but the best are those which are rather high ; for, to drive a tandem comfortably, the coachman requires to be at some little elevation above his horses, just as driving four is easier from a coach than from a lower vehicle. Nothing looks more ungainly or unsportsmanlike" than driving tandem in a two-wheeled buggy or gig with bent shafts, as is frequently done at shows. In DRIVING] a fact, it is not too much to say that a tandem driven in this way is tandem spoilt, as the entire symmetrical effect is thereby destroyed. At one time a Tandem Club was started, and a very nice cart was adopted as a pattern. It was built by Messrs. Holland and Holland, of Oxford Street, and was a first-rate example of what a proper style of tandem cart should be.
The balancing of the cart, always an important item in the case of all twowheeled vehicles, becomes additionally so when a tandem is attempted, for nothing looks worse than a tandem with the points of the shafts pointing towards the sky, while the groom on the back seat has to hold on like grim death to keep his position. The greatest care, therefore, is necessary in the or less effect upon the arrangements of the seats, and, of course, upon the tension of the backband. a The Leader.-Tandem driving with bad leader is indeed a sorry business; in fact, it may be doubted whether the best tandem coachman could drive with a bad leader, and, consequently, every pains should be taken to secure a suitable horse.
Before the horse makes his first appearance in front, it is as well to give him a little preliminary training, and this may conveniently take the form of driving him in a field with a pair of long lungeing reins.
He should be encouraged to go straight without having any weight to draw, as, when descending a hill, the leader in a tandem has, of course, nothing to do, and A SPORTING TANDEM. adjustment of the back band, and, of course, in the arrangement of the seats. The weights should not press unduly upon the wheeler's back, while at the same time there should be no more than just sufficient play in the shafts to keep the vehicle level. This will be always found a matter of difficulty, as, if the coachman be light, and the groom heavy, naturally the weight must be brought more forward, while, if the coachman be a heavy man and the groom a feather-weight, the back band will have to be rather shorter, so as to prevent excessive play of the shafts.
The novice may be warned that neither the adjustment of the seats nor the tightening or letting out of the back band will accomplish all that is desired. There must be a compromise between the two, and it will take some little time to learn how a cart should be properly balanced, because the weight of each person riding in it has more [Photo. by W. W. Rouch. very little more when travelling on the flat. If, when a horse is thus walked about, he will go straight until an indication is given him to turn right or left, the chances are that he will turn out a satisfactory leader; and if his trainer be an active man, who can run 400 or 500 yards at a time, the horse will be more likely to turn out satisfactory. When first harnessed to the cart, it may be well to have a man to run by his head for a short time, but special care must be taken to have the wheeler well in hand, so that in the event of any vagaries on the part of a new leader the vehicle may be at once brought to a standstill. If the leader should be given to shying or turning round, the sooner he is replaced by another the better, for there is no pleasure in driving an ill-assorted pair. In fact, driving tandem with a thoroughly bad leader is next door to an impossibility.
Driving. For the method of holding the reins and managing the whip, the reader is referred to the section on driving four-inhand, but he may be warned that the handling of the reins is more difficult in a tandem than on a coach, because there is no spread. All four reins run nearly parallel, consequently to pick up the near or off leading rein, or one of the wheel reins, requires greater nicety than in the case of four, when the angle is greater. Should the leader happen to turn round, or land the driver in any trouble, the wheeler should be immediately turned round after him. It will be almost useless for the novice to attempt to get the leader into position again, for as fast as he pulls him from one side he will probably go to the other, but if the wheeler be turned round, both horses will be in line, and a fresh start will be made. [Photo. b" W. W. Rouch.
A RANDOM CART.
In consequence of the difficulty, already referred to, of picking out any particular rein in tandem driving, sundry other methods of holding the reins have been suggested.
Some tandem coachmen drive with what is called a full hand that is, with a rein between each finger; others again hold the hand as in riding, with the leader's reins outside and the wheeler's in, but neither of these, nor sundry other methods, obtain the sanction of coachmen, and those who drive tandem are therefore recommended to adopt the ordinary four-horse style, as by so doing they will be more at home in driving four horses than if they adopt a different method for each kind of team.
The apportioning of the work in a tandem is a matter of nicety. On the flat the leader is really required to do no work; his traces should readily shake, and of course when going downhill he should be taken back an inch or two, so that by no possibility could he jump into his collar and pull the wheeler [DRIVING down. It is bad enough if a wheel horse falls in a four-wheeled vehicle when going downhill, but in a tandem the result is likely to be still worse, and, unless care be taken in the respect above mentioned, the chances of coming to grief are just double, because the wheeler may fall, either by treading on some loose stones or from some other cause, or he may be pulled over by the leader when otherwise he might keep his feet. This will suggest that the pace downhill should be slightly slower, at any rate when a novice is driving, than if he were in charge of a single horse only. It is when going uphill, be the incline ever so slight, that the leader in a tandem becomes of real use. He may then be called upon to ease the wheeler. If the gradient be but gentle he need not be allowed too much play; but when a steeper hill is encountered he may be allowed to do a good share of the work, and the position of the wheeler's collar should tell the coachman what share the leader is bearing in the draft of the vehicle. On other occasions the leader should be nursed, for driving a tandem with a tired leader is not a pleasurable occupation. For the same reason, too, no slug should be driven in the lead. A slow wheeler may be kept up to his work with a double thong, but if he be free and the leader a slug, the wheeler will be constantly annoyed by the sound of the point of the thong passing him. Mention of the whip reminds one that the coachman would do well to practice hitting his leader on both sides, for if he hit him on the right side only, he will be very much abroad, should he attempt to drive four horses, when he tries to touch the near leader. To hit him neatly is a somewhat difficult operation, but more can be learned in five minutes by verbal instruction than by whole pages of writing.
Turning a corner with a tandem also requires some nicety. Supposing the coachman desires to turn sharply to the left, of course, the pace must be slackened, and the greatest care taken to keep the wheeler from following the leader too quickly. Everyone who has ridden in a hansom cab knows how the drivers of these vehicles cut their corners, and if the indication be given too soon to the leader, and the wheeler follow him, it is easy to see that the vehicle will go on to the curb, or against any post or other obstacle that happens to be in the way. The coachman should see well round the corner before he attempts to turn; the leader should then be pointed as for four-in-hand driving, and the opposite wheel rein should be kept tight to prevent the wheel turning too quickly.
DRIVING] In driving through a carriage gateway, or into an inn-yard, especially if the road be not very wide, very careful management is required, and before attempting to make a turn, the tandem should be taken as far as possible to the opposite side of the road, so that as wide a sweep as possible may be taken. Many years ago the practice of driving three horses in line, "random," as it was called, was introduced at the universities by ultra-sporting undergraduates of the day, but it never "caught on" generally, and is now hardly ever seen, though it is occasionally resorted to for exhibition purposes only, by Mr. Walter Winans at Surrenden Park.
DRIVING FOUR-IN-HAND. -- Some of the remarks made in connection with tandem driving apply with equal force to the handling of four horses, the team being really nothing more than two tandem teams placed side by side. The tandem may be the more "tricky" team to drive, but of course it stands to reason that four horses present more difficulties than do a tandem, for the simple reason that there are four horses to watch, to hold, to guide, or to urge forward instead of two, while it must not be forgotten that a great deal more strength is required to drive four.
In holding the reins, the near side leading rein is on the top of the forefinger of the THE TATE LIBRARY, BRIXTON, S.P the leaders' reins in his right hand, places them as already directed on either side of the first finger, the wheelers' reins coming beneath them. All four reins should be drawn nearly as tight as they will go without causing the horses to move, and, with the right hand, a little slack is given to the two off reins, the whole four being then transferred to the right hand, the same fingers dividing them as before. When the coachman has mounted to the box, he changes the reins from the right to the left hand again.
The coachman being seated (remember, his toes must never project over the foot- N° 1 N°2 I. MAIN BAR. 2. LEADING BAR board), the next thing is to start. This is apparently a simple operation, yet one which is attended with great difficulty, and not in one start in fifty does practice coincide with theory. Theory says that the wheelers must start the coach, for if the leaders come into their collars they are very likely to break a bar, yet as a matter of fact it is not always easy to make the N° 3 POLE.
REINS FOR FOUR HORSES. left hand, the off leading rein being between the first and second fingers. The near wheel rein is also between the first and second fingers, but underneath the off leadrein, and then the off wheel rein lies by itself between the second and third fingers, so that there are two reins between the first and second fingers.
At the top of the pole is a hook, to which is fastened the main bar, while at each end of this bar is a hook on which the leading or swing bars hang, each horse having a bar to himself. As in the case of other kinds of driving, the early lessons of course should be received from an instructor, who will hand the reins to the beginner, but the proper method of mounting may be at once explained. The reins will be found tucked away by the pad, and the coachman, taking VOL. II POLE HOOK.
POLE END. wheelers start first, and if they do, there is just a chance of their driving the pole into the leaders' quarters, in which event one or both of them may kick, and lead to complication.
At first sight it may seem to be an easy matter to stop this by shortening the leaders' reins, so that, should they start first, at least they may be unable to get into their collars; but if this plan be tried, and the wheelers do not start quickly enough, the leaders, as soon as they feel the bit, probably K will come back towards the wheelers.
Plenty of scope, therefore, should be allowed the horses at starting, and the best must be made of the attempt; but most coachmen will confess that in starting they are not able always to act up to their principles. When the horses are once in motion, a final adjustment of the reins can be made, and then it will be seen at what length they should be.
After some practice this will be found out, but at first, in fact, for some little while, they will be generally too long, and will A ROAD COACH. require to be shortened. Very many of the old coachmen simply shorten all four by catching hold of them with the right hand behind the left, and pulling them through gently, adjusting the length of each rein by pulling it singly from behind; but this is, by the majority of modern coachmen, held to be the wrong way. Instead, the right hand is put forward to take hold of the [DRIVING rein should be shortened from the back, except, perhaps, the bottom one, or when all four require pulling back together. At the same time, there are plenty of men who follow the old plan of shortening their reins from behind.
Whatever may have been the case with driving tandem, anyone attempting to drive four-in-hand will find that for some time the reins are given to slip, the off lead and near wheel reins, which lie between the same fingers, being the greatest delinquents. This generally will cause the horses to go unevenly. The wheelers may be to the right and the leaders to the left, but they can be instantly put straight by taking hold of the two middle reins, the two that will be easier to handle, and pushing them back through the fingers. Should these two reins have been hauled tight, and the other two allowed to slip, the easiest way to get the team straight is perhaps to pull out the two middle reins, which will then enable the others to act. After that, all four should be shortened at once, and the outside reins will, or should, be in statu quo.
The presence of an instructor is absolutely necessary to anyone who desires to drive properly, and the position of the hands VENTURE WINDSOR AN LONDON Hotel WINDSOR WINDSOR CK B Barre GUARD'S SEAT AND REAR BOOT OF ROAD COACH. leading reins to draw them back and shorten them, while the lower fingers draw back the wheel reins to the proper length, and place them over the third finger, the leading reins being then replaced. Any minor alterations which may be necessary are effected by gently pushing the reins through from the back, for it is a canon of driving that no A PARK COACH OR DRAG. will be one of the greatest difficulties with which the beginner has to contend. His tendency will be to get his hand too far forward, in which case he will be thoroughly tired in less than five minutes, for he will be doing what is analogous to holding a heavy weight more or less at arm's length.
On the other hand, if his hand be too close to the body he will not be able to check his horses. A good plan is to let the elbow joint rest on the hip bone and be kept there, care being taken to keep the arm well to the side. This may give a little stiffness to the position, but it will help to keep the hand in the proper place, and the coachman should remember that whatever he does with his reins, whether he shortens them, lengthens them, or pulls either the one or the other, the left hand must be always kept DRIVING] still. This sounds easy enough in theory, but in practice it is exceedingly difficult, and it takes a long time thoroughly to acquire the proper habit.
Another difficulty the beginner has to contend with is that he will be at a loss to know the exact amount of force he is using.
The weight of the reins is, of course, considerable, and, as the coachman sits higher than in a phaeton or dog-cart, it is naturally more felt. Still, as a kite string is not straight from the kite to the hand, so the reins are not perfectly straight from the terrets to the coachman's hands, except when in the act of pulling up, and therefore the coachman need not think he is necessarily doing wrong because the reins shake a little. In driving four, as in driving one, he should just gently feel the horses' mouths, always supposing they do not need any greater amount of restraint, and it will not be until after he has made several attempts at handling four horses that he will know when he is succeeding in doing this.
In turning corners, it is easier to turn to the left than to the right, for the simple reason that the near leading rein is more easily found and grasped than the off, while 100 CRBB REAR SEAT AND PANEL OF PARK COACH OR DRAG. it is also simpler to catch hold at once of the two off reins than of the two near ones.
The plan generally adopted in turning a corner is, in the first place (we will suppose a turn to the left is to be made), to draw the horses to the right before approaching the turn, and, while the coachman is doing this, it will be a convenient time to tighten the off wheel rein a little, so that when the wheelers see the leaders turn they may be prevented from following too quickly.
When it is judged that the time has arrived for turning, the right hand is placed on the top rein (the near lead) several inches in front of the left hand, more or less according to the sharpness of the turn to be made, and drawn back to the left hand, while the thumb should grasp the rein just in front of the point at which the right hand seizes it.
This makes the top rein loop under the thumb, the effect being to shorten the near lead rein by the number of inches which intervene between the left hand and the right. The leaders are brought round, and, as they make the turn, the right hand is placed on the off reins to hinder the wheelers, who should turn in the tracks of the leaders, from coming round too suddenly. The whole team should not, as is so often seen, cut the corner. To turn to the right the process is reversed. The off leading rein is looped, and the two near reins are seized by the right hand in order to check the suddenness of the turn.
To seize the two near reins, however, is not so easy as holding the two off side reins.
The right hand must be put forward outside the reins, which must be grasped with the whole hand, and not merely with a finger or two. Here it may be pointed out that great care should be taken when pulling either of the reins, singly or in pairs, to draw them in a direct line to the body, and neither to the right nor to the left. For instance, in making a turn to the left, the two off reins should not be drawn to the right, but up to the buttons of the waistcoat.
A good deal of judgment is requisite in fairly dividing the work between the horses.
In the case of a beginner, the leaders, if at all inclined to be free, will do the bulk of the work, and when the leaders are going much, their traces will be tight, while those of the wheelers will be slack, and the collars will be hanging more or less loosely on their necks. The remedy for this is to shorten the leaders' reins, but here again it must be repeated, without allowing the left hand to fall forward. When ascending a hill the leaders may be allowed to do plenty of work, but in going down hill they should do none. If they are inclined to spread, this can be to a great extent remedied by the simple expedient of lapping the traces.
In the ordinary way, with a good coachman, it is scarcely necessary to shorten the leaders going downhill, as, when the leaders come back and the reins are slipped through together, the normal position will hold good, and the leaders' traces will shake, or, in the language of the road, the leaders will be taken out of draught. The near-side wheeler is the mainstay of the coach, and K 2 steadies it when going downhill. With a thoroughly reliable horse occupying this position, a good coachman can almost afford to take his chance with the others. A fairly steep hill may be "sprung," as it is called, by letting the leaders take it at the canter.
Pulling up, too, requires some little care.
A beginner, even when driving the most perfectly broken team, will seldom or never have his wheelers quite so much under control that the slightest motion of his hand will serve to pull them up. He will generally find that at the best he has his wheel reins a little too long; consequently, when he expects his horses to stop they will not be receiving the necessary amount of pressure on their mouths. When approaching the gate or other point at which it is desired to stop, the coachman should look to his reins and see whether they are at the proper tension. If any of them are too slack, they should be pushed up gently through the fingers, and then the distance should be judged at which to commence the operation of stopping. This should be accomplished very gradually by all coachmen, but especially so by the beginner, for nothing looks worse than what is known as "a bad pull up."
The wheels of the vehicle should not be driven right into the gutter, nor should the coach be stopped several feet from the kerb, while to pull up a yard or two ahead of the proper place is an indication that the horses are not properly in hand. In all kinds of driving, but especially in four-in-hand work, a very great deal can be learned by the eye, and to sit on the box-seat of a drag or coach, when a good coachman is at work, gives ample opportunity for watching his every movement.
In the Show Ring.-Driving for show is a special art of itself, and the chances of many horses are made or marred according as they are driven scientifically and well or roughly and badly, as is so often the case. Indifferent driving is especially noticeable in the ring, and where it happens to be a small one perhaps ladies with their lighter hands, which facilitate the negotiation of the corners, show to better advantage relatively than men. As an instance of the way in which judicious handling on show can improve the style in which horses go, the case may be quoted of an owner who had entered two pairs of horses at a certain show. One pair, which he considered the better animals, he drove himself, and the other pair was entrusted to a friend, who happened to have noticed that they went specially well when there was music.
Having an intimate acquaintance with the [DRIVING leader of the Guards band which was engaged for the occasion, he said to him, "I will come into the ring last, and when I do come will you please give me plenty of music." He drove in and got harmony in abundance, with lots of drum-so much so that, to use his own expressive phrase, he was afraid that he had over-egged the pudding," and that the horses might bolt.