TRAINING FOR DRAUGHT. 265 



to the height of the animal used. The consequence 

 is, that, if the front wheels be very low and the horse 

 or pony a little tall in proportion, the short breeching 

 acts downwards, not horizontally as it should, the 

 pressure on the animal's hind quarters becomes then 

 very annoying to it, ending not unfrequently in a 

 kicking match, besides which the carriage is not effec- 

 tually held back. 



Eeviewing the whole matter one can scarcely avoid 

 arriving at the conclusion, that although a great num- 

 ber of horses willingly endure the crupper, a great 

 many others, especially mares and young animals, 

 will not do so, and with them it becomes an incitement 

 to vice of one kind or the other, either in the stable or in 

 draught, many accidents occurring in consequence, 

 and finally that it may be very well dispensed with 

 in all cases. 



Connected with this subject is another matter which 

 may as well be treated of here ; namel}', the use of 

 other contrivances, besides the breeching and the 

 pole-chains, for moderating the movement of a car- 

 riage. In former times we had in the British islands 

 nothing but a skid or shoe, which was placed under 

 one wheel, and to attach or detach this the vehicle 

 had to be halted in every case. On the Continent 

 various contrivances were in use analogous to the 

 brakes now used for railway waggons and trucks, 

 which admit of the moderating power being applied 

 or removed whilst the vehicle is in motion, and one 

 now frequently sees, especially 'in hilly districts 

 and in general for country work, various forms of 

 brake applied to pony carriages, 4-wheeled dog-carts, 

 ad other vehicles. There are one or two little dif- 

 ficulties about these brakes which may be easily 



