THE ART OF DRIVING 141 



country, and should be used even on a light carriage. 

 A neatly made brake need not weigh more than twenty 

 or twenty-five pounds, and it will enable you to dispense 

 with breeching — without which the horses will be 

 more cool and comfortable, and will look much better. 

 But avoid the excessive use of the brake, by which you 

 lose the momentum of a slight descent, and take all the 

 liveliness out of your horses. 



On a journey, horses should not be driven far with- 

 out stopping to rest and feed. A halt at every fifteen 

 miles, with a light feed of oats or hay, was the old 

 English rule, and a good one. At these stops the 

 harness should be stripped off. 



NOON FEEDING 



The same remark applies to the noon feeding of 

 work-horses. They should be fed in the stable, if 

 possible, and should be relieved of the harness. If it 

 is necessary to feed in the street, loosen the harness, 

 especially the hames, so as to let the shoulders cool, 

 and, in the case of a pair, unhitch the outside traces, so 

 that the horses can shift their position a little. They 

 will rest better that way, and these trifling things make 

 a big difference In the course of a year. Moreover, It 

 is a fact, often spoken of by veterinarians, that spavin, 

 ring-bone, and like forms of lameness are found most 

 often In horses which are kept In harness all day, and 

 stand in harness, perhaps for hours at a stretch. 



Staling Is another thing to be looked out for, espe- 

 cially In the case of geldings. Some horses will never 

 relieve themselves in this way in harness, and are there- 



