216 DK AUGHT AKD HAENE8S. 



forwards would be acquired. In other words, the 

 trace should act horizontally, supposing the wheel to 

 move on a perfectly level and even surface ; because 

 the horizontal line lies more remote from the perpen- 

 dicular than any other, being at right angles with it. 



And many good practical authorities who have 

 had much experience tell us the same thing ; amongst 

 others, the author of the * Handy Horse-Book,' who 

 thinks that to make " the draught as easy as possible, 

 the axles [of a carriage] ought to be on a level with 

 the trace-hooks, or point of traction, or as nearly hori- 

 zontal as possible with the traces and their place in 

 the leg of the hames."* 



On the other hand, we have practical authorities 

 who say, " the best disposition of the traces in draught 

 is when they are perpendicular to the collar ; when 

 the horse stands at ease the traces are then inclined to 

 the horizon, at an angle of about 15*^; but when he 

 leans forward to draw, the traces should then become 

 nearly parallel to the road''\ 



Before going further, let us observe here on the 

 modification that the mathematical rule is made to 

 undergo, from the moment you leave the level (hori- 

 zontal) plane, and get on to inclined jDlanes ; for we see 

 that the trace which was at first starting parallel to 

 the horizon becomes parallel to the road, and therefore 

 forms less than a right angle with the perpendicu- 

 lar, and this cannot be prevented hy any 2^6rmanent 

 arrangement of the axles, trace-hooks, d'c. Then, 

 again, this law never contemplates the fact of the 

 horse's shoulders becoming lower — tliat is, coming 



* ' The Haudy Horse-Book.' p. 73. 



t *The Artillerist's Manual,' by Major Griffiths. Sixth edi- 

 tion, p. 150. 



