200 BITS AND BITTING. 



A word with regard to the reins for double harness, 

 which may be useful. If ,the driver sits so that his 

 left hand holding the reins comes to be exactly over 

 the pole of the carriage — that is to say, in its longitudi- 

 nal axis — then, the outer reins of both horses being of 

 precisely the same length from the point of attachment 

 of the rein to tne driver's hand, the two inner or coup- 

 ling reins should also be made equal in length ; but if 

 the driver sits to the right of that central point, as is 

 usually the case, then the outer rein of the near horse 

 will be longer than that of the off horse, and the inner 

 or cross reins must be adjusted so as to give an equal 

 pull on the horses' mouths. The coachman sitting on 

 the hammercloth of a state carriage, and the driver of 

 a London ' bus,' adopt the former arrangement, most 

 other drivers the last-named one; and it is quite plain 

 that a material change of seat will also necessitate an 

 alteration in the adjustment of the reins. For farther 

 remarks on the bridling of horses, see Part IV. of this 

 book. 



