CO A CH- HORSE — CO A CHMAN 



Coach-horse. — See Yorkshire Coach- horse. 



Coach-house. — The coach-house should be airy, well 

 ventilated, yet not cold ; in fact it should be provided with 

 some means of warming it, either by a stove, hot water pipes, 

 or even by a lamp, so that the frost can be kept out when 

 the weather is cold. It should not be dark, and yet the 

 windows ought to be so arranged as to prevent the sun from 

 beating down upon the vehicles. The best of all floors is a 

 cement one, but asphalt or any other smooth surface will 

 suit if laid flat. The doors, if possible, should extend the 

 whole width of the house, and should be provided with stops, 

 so as to keep them open when the carriages are being run in 

 or out, or when they are left open for airing purposes, as they 

 should be in warm weather. Finally — and this is important — 

 the coach-house should be as far away as possible from the 

 manure heap or any open drains, the effluvia from which is 

 injurious to paint and varnish, and outside the door there 

 should be the pavement for standing carriages on when they 

 are being washed. (See Carriages, care of.) 



Coachman. — Were the ordinary horse owner to exercise 

 a little more care and discretion in engaging his coachman, 

 his horses would do better, and he might not run risks which 

 occasionally threaten him. At the same time a really com- 

 petent and in every way desirable coachman is very hard 

 to find, and when he is, he should be valued accordingly. 

 Not merely is it necessary that he should be a good driver, 

 but he ought to possess a knowledge of the elementary treat- 

 ment of diseases and accidents, and be able to decide what 

 bits suit his horses' mouths the best, should his master not 

 happen to be a practical man. To the coachman, under such 

 circumstances, will also be left the responsibility of feeding 

 the horses, the control of the grooms and stablemen, and, 

 what is perhaps of even greater importance, the passing of 

 the forage merchant's, harness maker's, coach-builder's, and 

 shoeing smith's accounts. In short, a good coachman must 



