CHAPTER XXVI 

 THE ART OF DRIVING 



'VTO man can be a good driver unless he has the 

 '^ faculty of sympathizing with his horse so as to 

 know just how he feels all the time. He must know 

 when the horse is tired, when he is getting careless, 

 when he is going to shy, when he has it in mind to 

 kick, and so forth. This is the first requisite. The 

 next is a light hand. The pleasure of driving depends 

 on the lively communication, the give and take between 

 man and horse. It is a kind of conversation carried 

 on by means of the reins and bit, and is impossible 

 unless the horse retains the delicate, sensitive mouth 

 which nature gave him. A driver with a heavy hand 

 soon deadens and spoils the mouth of the horse, pulls 

 down his head, and impairs the freedom and elasticity 

 of his carriage. It is because of their light touch that 

 women can often manage with ease a horse that kicks 

 or rears with most men. 



The delicacy of the unspoiled mouth of the horse 

 may be seen from this : Let two men be sitting behind 

 a pair of horses, wearing blinders, that are jogging 

 slowly along the road, the reins almost (but not quite) 

 loose on their backs. Suppose that the driver hands the 

 reins to the other man who is equally skilful, and who 

 tries to hold the reins in the same manner. Neverthe- 

 less, the horses will detect instantly the change in the 



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