84 THE FAMILY HORSE. 



word ' whoa ' only for a full stop. Keep it in mind that the strong 

 pull at the bit frets and tires the horse as well as the driver. Another 

 objection urged is that spirited horses pull so hard on the bit 

 that it is more work than pleasure to drive them. This is largely the 

 fault of early training to trot their best for a single mile. To change 

 the gait or style of going is no easy task, but with patience and per- 

 severance it can be done. For this purpose take some quiet road and 

 with a good, smooth mile ahead, let the horse come up to his average 

 gait as easily as possible ; then, in going that mile, gradually reduce 

 the pull ten per cent. It will be better for ultimate success if it is 

 only reduced the merest trifle than have the horse feel the slack and 

 start off for a spurt. Should the horse from any cause become ex- 

 cited when doing this work, let him walk it off first. Having once 

 established an easy road-gait for the horse, do not let others fool 

 with it, as one master is enough for any fine horse. Many boys 

 think there is some great secret in driving, by which horses can be 

 made to trot fast almost at will. To obtain this, they haunt the 

 trotting courses, catch at every word of the trainers and stablemen, 

 and thus lose much time. Such persons may be met driving on the 

 road with bent bodies and outstretched arms, shouting in jockey 

 style, in a hopeless sti-uggle to make a hundred-dollar horse show a 

 tive-hundred-dollar gait. With as much reason they might stand by 

 and watch a smoking dunghill, expecting to see the eruption of an 

 ^tna or a Vesuvius." 



Driving a pair is well described by Stonehenge as follows : "In 

 driving a pair, the great art consists in putting them together so as 

 to draw equally, and to step together. To do this well, the horses 

 must match in action and temper, two slugs being much better than 

 a free-tempered horse with a slug ; because, in this case, the whip 

 applied to the one only makes the other more free, and as a conse- 

 quence it is impossible to make them draw equally. In some cases 

 where two horses are exactly equally matched, the coupling-reins 

 must both be of equal length ; but this is seldom the case ; and 

 when they do not do an equal amount of work, the coupling-rein of 

 the free one must be taken up, and that of the idle horse let out. 

 In watching the working of the two horses the pole-pieces should 

 always be the guide ; and if both are slack, with the end of the pole 

 steady, and neither horse shouldering it, the driver may rest con- 

 tented that his horses are each doing their share ; if, however, the 

 pole is shouldered by either, that horse is a rogue, and is making the 

 other do more than his share, keeping the pole straight by the pres- 

 sure of his shoulder, instead of pulling at the traces. On the other 

 hand, if either horse is pulling away from the pole, and straining stX 



