BEARING REINS, FAST COACHES, AND LINCH-PINS. 233 



Now here I am called upon to observe upon a great in- 

 accuracy in your correspondents. In this country we have 

 no such term as coupling up post horses : it solely relates 

 to coach horses, and it is evident that the humane writer 

 here means bearing up the post horse. I will yield to no 

 man in kind consideration towards my favourite animal ; 

 but it savours of humbug to hear a man speak of the 

 torture 1 of bearing up a post horse, and the still more 

 indigestible language of his friend, who could exactly 

 measure the powers of his horses with and without 

 bearing reins, and in snaffle bridles and in bits. 



I have clearly stated the absolute necessity of bearing 

 up the coach horse, which equally applies to the hand 

 post horse, with only this trifling distinction — the coach 

 horse is generally more above his work than the post 

 horse, and he is also always running home (ergo, in a 

 hurry), which is not the case with the post horse. All 

 those who have been accustomed to fast work well know 

 the difficulty of holding horses together and having a 

 perfect command over them, even with bearing reins ; 

 but I will venture to add that the man is yet unborn who 

 could drive some coaches that I could name without the 

 use of these necessary articles. In the first place, there 

 are many horses — sometimes whole teams — that will not 

 face anything but the cheek ; and where is the arm that 

 could bear the weight of four horses leaning upon it for 

 an hour or more together, perhaps at full gallop ? How 

 much soever humanity towards horses may be enjoined, 



1 After all, by bearing up a horse in harness, his head is very little more 

 confined than when he is ridden on the road. 



