216 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



done, for it must be done quickly ? If he catch hold of 

 him with the long wheel-rein, he can only do it in the 

 front of his left hand, and there he must hold him, 

 leaving his whip-hand, which in co-operation with the 

 rein, can alone save him — engaged and useless : whereas, 

 with the short wheel-rein, he would have nothing to do 

 but to draw it smartly through his left hand, which would 

 hold it fast, leaving the right at liberty to whip the other 

 horse up to the pole, and thereby get the coach out. It 

 may be said the long wheel-rein coachman may fish for 

 his rein bcJiind his hand. He may do so, but he may 

 not find it. His hands may be numbed with cold, or it 

 may be jumbled in with the others. I am also inclined 

 to think there cannot be that distinction in the feel of 

 wheel-horses and leaders with the long wheel-rein that 

 there is with the short ; and I have particularly noticed 

 this with London coachmen when bringing their coaches 

 into town. For instance, when it happens, as it per- 

 petually does, in the streets, that the leaders are stopped 

 very suddenly, the long wheel-rein does not afford that 

 immediate check to the wheelers, to prevent them run- 

 nine on the bars that the short rein does. It is true that 

 the whole team may be stopped quickly with all the 

 reins running through the left hand ; but not so when 

 taken separately. There is not that independence 

 between leaders and wheelers ; and when I see a man 

 pulling at his horses with long wheel-reins, it always 

 appears as if there were but one mouth to pull at (as in 

 riding a horse), instead of four. There is also a very 

 unsightly, as well as uncoachmanlike method that many 



