DIRECTIONS FOR DRIVING. 



know his place — that is to say, he should go wheeler or 

 leader, and on both sides. I am of opinion, that if a 

 horse, working constant in a coach, fancies his place, he 

 should have it, and in nine cases in ten he will pay for 

 the indulgence. On the other hand, some horses care 

 not where they are put — working equally well, or ill, in 

 all places. Temper in a coachman is also to be regarded. 

 Indeed it is one of the essentials to a real good wckman. 

 This was the only drawback from the celebrated Jack 

 Hale ; and it is told ©f a great artist, not now at work, 

 that, having four rum ones to deal with, and unable to 

 make them work to please him, he threw his reins on the 

 footboard, and exclaimed — ' Now, d — n your eyes, divide 

 it among y 'ou, for I will be troubled with you no longer.' 



There are several ways of dealing with horses' mouths 

 in harness ; a good deal of trouble is often requisite to 

 bring them to work pleasantly, and many are incurable. 

 Some horses will not face a curb chain at all, and the 

 bars of other horses' mouths, as also their chins, are so 

 hard, that it is difficult to make an impression upon 

 them ; the latter case is more prevalent of the two. It is 

 also difficult to handle a horse in coach harness, parti- 

 cularly a leader, whose mouth is very tender. A snaffle 

 is not safe, as in case of a drop, or a bolt, it has not 

 sufficient power to catch him up quickly, at that distance 

 from the driver's hand. For a gig horse it may occasion- 

 ally answer well. The usual plan then resorted to is, to 

 ' cheek him,' as we call it ; that is, to put his coupling 

 rein to the cheek, instead of the bottom of the bit. 

 Should even this be severe for him, and he brings his 



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