COMMON FAULT. 223 



both diverging to contrary sides of the road, all will 

 be well ; whereas, by maintaining your proper — the 

 left — side throughout, the driver of a vehicle coming 

 along in the centre of the road, seeing what he con- 

 siders plenty of room, preserves the ( even tenour of his 

 way,' and, drawing it too fine, comes into collision. 



The reckless driving of flash cab-drivers and fast 

 young officers, with whom ' going the pace ' is every- 

 thing, should be strictly avoided by the coachman. 



There are certain faults and vices which horses con- 

 tract, such as hugging and lying off from the pole, 

 &c. ; which, for the most part, arise from overwork, 

 and are rarely ever met with in private carriage horses, 

 so nothing need be said on this subject. 



But there is one vice very common, which may be 

 justly laid to the charge of the coachman, i.e., ' gib- 

 bing,' or refusing to start the carriage ; which is con- 

 tracted through the stupidity of the coachman, in 

 either allowing his horses to spring at the collar, or 

 forcing them to do so by the use of his whip. In either 

 case the effect is the same, viz., inability to start the 

 load. For a weight can only be moved by a steady 

 and firm pressure, or what is termed, ( a horse going 

 into his collar quietly.' 



I have cured very bad gibbers by sitting on the box 

 perfectly still, without a whip, and allowing the horses 

 to start the load at their pleasure — which they will do 

 rather than stand still for any length of time, unless 

 they have sore shoulders — and then pulling them up 

 again and allowing them to start at their will. If this 



