386 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



mention one amateur whom I have not hitherto noticed, 

 in consequence of his not having belonged to either of 

 the clubs I have been speaking of, or driving a team of 

 his own. I allude to Mr. John Willan — a very capital 

 performer, and very often at work on the road, as also 

 on several of our swell drags, in the high London season. 

 Mr. Willan is a very powerful man, and though young in 

 years is full of experience, and can put four horses to- 

 gether as well as any man going. Mr. Willan, in short, 

 is good at everything : he is good over a country ; good 

 at cricket ; good over the mahogany ; and, to sum up 

 the whole — a good fellow altogether. 



I may be allowed also to conclude with two or three 

 hints, not before mentioned. With a cantering leader, or 

 one that frets, young coachmen are apt, on all occasions, 

 to pull him back and endeavour to get him into his trot, 

 by the bit ; whereas that generally fails, if it do not make 

 him worse, by bringing him back on his bar. The scien- 

 tific way is to pull him back by his harness ; that is, to 

 keep the wheelers back, so that he may feel his collar 

 and the bit at the same time, which will tend to soothe 

 his temper. 



Speaking of bars, it is well to observe, that where the 

 bars can go the coach can go, as they are wider than the 

 wheels. If they are cleared, therefore, all is safe. The 

 swing- bar we use in coaches is an excellent invention, as 

 a horse works in it from either shoulder, and of course 

 quite at his ease. 



Moping a hot leader has sometimes a good effect. I 

 once bought a capital coach horse for twenty-six pounds 



