2o8 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



out, ninety-nine out of a hundred make use of the short 

 one. Most gentlemen coachmen, of the new school, 

 drive with the long one ; and ' Gentleman Taylor' on 

 the ' Southampton Telegraph,' says, ' nothing is so low as 

 a short wheel-rein.' Another flashy coachman says, no 

 man should drive a horse for him with short wheel-reins ; 

 but all this, under all circumstances, does not settle the 

 point. 



I perceive that since the above was forwarded to you, 

 you have been favoured with some remarks on coaching, 

 by your correspondent Jehu. As another of your corre- 

 spondents observes, the subject is a ' new one,' the field 

 is open, and I hope Jehu will give us something new. 

 It does not require an Irishman to say, that a man may 

 not be quite at home when he is on the road — but I 

 suspect Jehu never ' had hold of them,' when the names 

 flew open, even with a breeching, or he would have 

 found it of little use. He will find it stated by me, that 

 " When a horse holds back without a breeching, the 

 stress lies in the tug-straps, which come from the pad 

 to the tugs of the collar.' Were the ' whole power of re- 

 sistance to rest on the horse s withers? as Jehu states, it 

 would not only pull him down, but the necking would 

 break before the coach had gone twenty yards down a 

 hill. My father was a literary man, and knew nothing 

 of sporting in any way, but whenever he heard me speak- 

 ing on the subject, and not making use of technical 

 language he invariably corrected me. Jehu speaks of 

 'the pole issuing from the splinter bar,' and being 



