17G THE HOME, FAUM AND BUSINESS CYCLOPAEDIA. 



respects ; you must continually watch them, or, perhaps, one will do all 

 the work while the other is doing nothing. 



THE SEAT. When driving, sit quite straight towards your horses, and 

 rather more to the middle than to the off-side of the box-seat. Keep 

 your body nearly upright, or inclined a little backward rather than for- 

 ward, and your feet well together, extended upwards, and on no account 

 doubled under your legs ; a firm seat is indispensable for your own safety 

 and that of the friends you may be driving, therefore never sit with your 

 feet doubled under you, for a sudden jolting of the carriage, or increase of 

 the pace of your horses, may capsize you into the road. Never ride in a 

 vehicle that has the wheels secured only by a common linchpin, for acci- 

 dents arising from wheels, thus fastened, coming off, are generally of a 

 serious character. 



ACCIDENTS. As accidents are usually unforeseen, the suddenness with 

 which they arrive is apt to unnerve the rider, and so sure as this be the 

 case, his judgment will be at fault. Presence of mind should, therefore, 

 be exercised on all occasions of danger. With kicking horses before you 

 (unless you are in a gig), the best plan is to let the whip take it out of 

 them. With runaways, never think of deserting the box by jumping off* 

 for there is a chance of your being able to pull them up, but none of your 

 escaping severe contusions, if not broken limbs or loss of life, should you 

 throw yourself from the vehicle. 



DOWN HILL. If these are of an ordinary character, we would not 

 advise locking the wheel except with a heavy load, or when your horses 

 will not hold back ; besides the trouble, locking is a great disadvantage, 

 for by letting out your horses when you have passed the pitch of a hill, 

 the motion of the carriage takes it half way up an ordinary rise before 

 your horses feel the weight, and this, in a day's journey, will be found of 

 considerable importance. If your horses will not hold back, or are not 

 masters of their load, locking the wheel becomes necessary when the hill 

 is long or steep. When the hill is not very steep, and the near edge of 

 the road happens to be of a rough, rutty nature, or has gravel or granite 

 strewn upon it, take your near wheel a few inches from the resisting sub- 

 stance, which will supply the additional friction, or bite necessary to check 

 the increasing momentum of a downward pace, and obviate the necessity 

 of skidding. 



STOPPING. When pulling up, accustom your horses to stop by some 

 signal, and draw in the reins equally, unless either of the animals shows 

 a disinclination to obey the notice. Young horses should be stopped very 



