ON HARNESSING. 187 



they cannot work well, as much of their power is lost ; 

 for as many horses as there are in a coach, so will there 

 be as many tempers, and ways of doing their work. Some 

 will go as straight as an arrow out of a bow, whilst others 

 will hang, and roll about in all directions, which can only 

 be counteracted by putting them together. Horses well 

 harnessed are half driven. 



To reduce this to theory is rather a difficult task, as 

 the remedies apply in so many various ways ; for the 

 movements of four horses in harness bear some resem- 

 blance to the changes on so many bells — each horse in 

 his respective place producing the variety. No animal is 

 more cunning, and often more trying to the temper, than 

 an old coach-horse, who is become, what is termed, a good 

 judge of his work. He will watch every opportunity of 

 easing himself at the expense of the rest of the team. If a 

 wheeler — when the double thong is applied to him, or if he 

 hears the whistle of it over his partner's back, off he goes, 

 and pretends to be at the top of his speed, by breaking from 

 the trot to a canter ; at the same time hugging, or, as the 

 coachman call it, 'shouldering' the pole, to the great 

 annoyance of his companion. Again, if he hear the point 

 of the thong out of the coachman's hand, he is off his 

 collar in an instant, as he knows he has nothing to fear 

 from the whip. A leader also has it in his power to 

 pursue the same plan ; but the greatest fault to which 

 leaders are subject, is, not going np to their bits — conse- 

 quently, not going straight, but ' hanging off,' as it is 

 termed, to one favourite side. The former failing may 

 arise from want of physical powers ; but the other is 



