76 TRACES AND BREECHING. 



full stretch, with which they will have an easier 

 draught, and be free from the danger of touch- 

 ing the carriage. Crossing the traces of a pair, 

 or of four horses, is a great error, especially 

 of "leaders/' by having the inner trace of 

 each horse hitched across to the bar of the 

 other, so that when the horses stop, and may 

 be supposed to pull together equally, they only 

 draw the carriage with the other trace, while 

 with the inner one they drag each other back. 

 Each horse should have only his own line of 

 draught ; and all be kept equally to their work 

 by the driver. [See Appendix, K.] 



Breeching also should be so placed, as to 

 allow ample room between the collar and breech- 

 ing for rather more than the extreme extent of 

 the horses' stretching-step, and should be rather 

 high, (about four inches below the thigh joint), 

 and not hang flapping and fretting the horses' 

 thighs, and impeding the motion of the limbs. 

 Besides, if the breeching be placed too low, the 

 weight of the carriage in going down hill, 

 presses upon the lower part of the thigh, and 

 lifts the hind legs involuntarily from under the 



