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RULE VII. 



UNIFORMITY OF DRAUGHT. 



To drive slowly, is much more gentlemanlike, and, at the same time, 

 more difficult than going fast. Keep your horses well together; to do 

 this properly, you must know how to arrange their couplings. I think I 

 cannot better explain this, than to ask my readers to notice the working 

 of the horses. If you see one a little in front of the other, you may 

 judge that he is either stronger or more free, consequently his coupling 

 requires shortening, or that of the other horse lengthening. To shorten 

 it, you must bring the buckle towards you ; and to let it out, put the 

 buckle towards the horse's head. Most inexperienced persons resort to 

 the whip, not knowing what is the cause of the fault they wish to 

 remedy; this will make the strong or free horse, throw himself more 

 into his collar; the other, meanwhile, cannot get up to him, however 

 much he may try ; the result is, he becomes more and more disheartened. 

 If you use the whip at all, it must be very lightly and quietly, so that 

 the freer or stronger horse may not hear it. At the same time, hold them 

 both well together ; if he is not a sluggard, he will gradually work up to 

 the other. Again, if you notice one horse carrying his head unpleasantly, 

 you may judge there is some cause for it; perhaps he is curbed too 

 tightly, or his coupling is too short, or his rein ought to be over that of 

 the other horse instead of under it, for, as may be supposed, all horses do 

 not carry their heads alike ; but all these little matters require watching 

 and studying, and, with practice, they will all become familiar enough ; 

 and you will notice whether or not, all your horses go pleasantly 

 together, for, depend on it, the more pleasantly they go, the more 

 pleasure and comfort you will experience in driving them; and, as the 

 old coaching term expressed it, when you can " cover them over with a 

 sheet," you may conclude they are going about right. 



