USE OF THE WHIP. 331 



after the third blow, he draws the thong obliquely across 

 the horse's back, by which means his arm returns to a 

 state of rest, and the crop falls gently across his reins, 

 just above his left hand — the crop pointing a little up- 

 wards, to prevent the thong getting under or touching 

 the near wheel-horse's tail. Should this be the case, if 

 he lowers his crop the thong will almost always get re- 

 leased, but should it not, he must let the thone loose, and 

 draw it out from the point. When it comes up from the 

 tail, let the coachman throw back his crop a little to his 

 right hand, and the point of the thong will fall across his 

 fingers, when he catches it, and puts it back into his 

 hand. It must be observed that in striking 1 the near 

 wheel-horse the wrist only, as in the sword exercise, is at 

 work; the body must be quite at rest, and, after the whip 

 is brought to bear, the arm must be quiet also, until the 

 third blow is struck. Nothing is so slow and so bad as 

 to see a man all legs and wings on a coach-box. He 

 cannot sit too quiet and at his ease, and his right arm 

 should be as still as circumstances will admit. 



There is only one other method of hitting a wheel- 

 horse, and that is called pointing him. This is done by 

 hitting him with the point of the thong, when loose, just 

 behind his shoulder, but it is not considered neat execu- 

 tion. If there should be a free leader before the bars, it 

 causes him to fret, and is, in my opinion, only to be had 

 recourse to in emergencies — as, for instance, in turning 

 round a corner or into a gateway, when a leader is to be 

 hit, and before the coachman can recover his thon<->\ a 

 wheel-horse should require whipping also. 



