148 MOUNTED INSTRUCTION 



lead and swings pair. The holding up strap is necessary to make the 

 pull horizontal on wheel pair. 



A t-eam usually consists of not less than three pairs. The leading 

 pair is called the lead pair ; the one attached to the carriage the wheel 

 pair; the pair between these two the swing pair. When there are two 

 pairs between the lead and wheel pairs, the pair next behind the lead 

 pair is called the lead swing; the other the wheel swing pair. When 

 there are five pairs the one between the lead swing and the wheel swing 

 is called the middle swing pair. 



THE TEAM 

 % 



The first horses to be hitched should be the two wheel-horses which, 

 up to this point, have shown the c|uietest disposition. A field wagon 

 with regular driving harness is the best vehicle to hitch to, but if this is 

 not available, any of the carriages can be used, with driving reins of 

 rope. A half-inch rope should run from the wagon, through a ring on 

 the trace about two feet from the collar, to a strap around the fetlock of 

 the outside foreleg of each horse. Each of these ropes should be held 

 by a man on the wagon. If a horse misbehaA-es, the man holding the 

 rope should pull hard on it, thereby raising the outer foot. Deprived 

 of the use of one leg, the most unruly horse cannot go far. As soon as 

 the horse becomes quiet again, the tension is released and he is allowed 

 to use the leg unless he again misbehaves, ^^'hen one horse becomes 

 tractable, he should be used under the saddle to break the off horses 

 and the new near horses. 



The lead horses should now be broken, the gentlest ones being 

 tried first in the off wheel and then in the near lead. Wlien the near 

 leader works satisfactorily the off leader can be easily broken in the off 

 lead position. 



When the wheelers and leaders are working quietly, the swing ani- 

 mals can be hitched in the team, a near leader being used for a near 

 swing until the near swing has been tried out in the off swing position 

 and is working quietly. The most difficult horse should be the last one 

 hitched, and should then l)e placed in the off swing with five reliable 

 horses in the other positions. Tf he is a very fractious animal, the leg 

 rope should be used on him and the ro]ie han(lled by a man on the car- 

 riage. 



A halter-rope from the halter of the off horse, fastened amund the 

 pommel of the near saddle, was found to be advantageous, in that it 

 ])revented the breaking of the coupling reins, and avoided injury to the 

 mouths of obstre])erous horses. 



If some of the horses refuse to move when first hitched, men should 

 be ordered to lead them, getting them to move by gentle handling, and, 

 if necessary, the carriage should be moved by hand until the horses are 

 well started. Whipping or any kind of roughness should not be toler- 

 ated. Never forget that, if properly handled, about 99 per cent, of 

 horses will willingly obey as soon as they understand what is desired. 



