BEARING REINS, FAST COACHES, AND LINCH-PINS. 235 



went near-wheel, I would not only have put a bearing 

 rein upon him, but a good tight side rein also : he should 

 have pulled at something else besides my arm. Some 

 people object to side reins upon a leader, in case of his 

 partner bolting across the road, and taking him with 

 him ; but this cannot happen to a wheeler, as there is the 

 pole, and the power of the leaders at the end of it to 

 contend with and to stop him. 



There is another reason, and a very strong one, in 

 favour of the bearing rein. Many horses are good coach 

 horses for six miles, but far from good ones for twelve 

 miles. Towards the end of a stage, they begin to bore 

 upon their bits ; and were it not for the resistance of the 

 bearing rein, they would get their heads down to their 

 knees ; and where is the man who could prevent this 

 being the case with four jaded horses — having nothing to 

 hang upon but his arm ! 



Your correspondent says he travelled post through 

 France and Italy, and observed but one horse make any- 

 thing like a serious trip ; and he attributes this entirely 

 to the freedom given to their heads ! In answer to this, 

 I can say, that much as I have traversed England, by 

 day and by night, by coaches and by posting, it is fifteen 

 years since I have seen either a coach, or post horse, 

 fall on the road in harness; and I never saw but two 

 coach horses and one post horse (the riding horse, and 

 consequently without a bearing rein) fall, in all my 

 experience on the road. I have reason to believe that 

 the falling of an English hand-horse in posting is of 

 very rare occurrence. Had I travelled the fiftieth part 



