550 STARTING. 



STARTING. 



As soon as you are ready to start, the horses should be 

 brought up in their collars so that the traces are taut and 

 some sio;nal o:iven to the servants, who should remove the 

 blankets or sheets which have been thrown over the horses' 

 quarters. Shorten your leaders' reins about a foot by taking 

 them out of the left hand, placing the middle finger of the 

 right hand between them, and replacing the reins in the left 

 hand by carrying the right hand behind the left one. Take 

 off the break as quietly as possible. Now advance the right 

 hand and put the little and second fingers over the two of^ 

 reins, the middle and index finger so placed over the two 

 near reins that the latter may be grasped. By having the 

 right hand in this position you may stop abruptly, guide to 

 the left or right, or, with a slight change of the hands, hold 

 back the wheelers by placing the middle finger between the 

 reins with the forefinger over the near wheel rein, holding 

 the off wheel rein with the little and second fingers. 



Having thus prepared for emergencies, keep the hands on 

 the reins, but drop and extend the hands. At the same time 

 signal to your horses by a short one or two note whistle as an 

 indication to them that you are ready to start. The horses 

 soon become accustomed to this signal which is better than 

 any other since it is heard at the same instant by both leader 

 and wheeler. After the horses have gotten into motion, bring 

 the left hand up into position near the centre of the waist and 

 remove the right hand from the reins, holding it slightly in 

 advance of the left one. 



