88 Stable Vices. 



horses hardly pass over the cheek-bones. Before the collar 

 is put in its place, the hames are put on and buckled; for 

 if this was delayed until after it had been reversed, they 

 would have to be held on while the hame-straps were being 

 drawn together, whereas in this way their own weight keeps 

 them in place. They are now reversed altogether, and 

 the pad put in its place ; before buckling the belly-band 

 of which, the crupper is slipped over the tail by doubling 

 up all the hair, and grasping it carefully in the left hand 

 while the right adapts the crupper. A careful examination 

 should always be made that no hairs are left under it, for 

 if they are they irritate the skin, and often cause a fit of 

 kicking. After the crupper is set right the pad is drawn 

 forwards, and its belly-band buckled up pretty tightly ; the 

 bridle is now put on, and the curb-chain properly applied ; 

 the reins being slipped through the terrets and buckled on 

 both sides, if for single harness, or on the outside only if 

 for double, and the driving-rein folded back and tied in 

 the pad terret. 



Putting-to is managed very differently, according to 

 whether the horse is going in shafts or with a pole. If for 

 shafts, they are tilted up and held there by one person, 

 while the other backs the horse until he is under them, 

 when they are dropped down, and the tugs slipped under 

 or over the ends of the shafts, according to the formation 

 of the tugs, some being hooks, and others merely leather 

 loops. Care must be taken that they do not slip beyond 

 the pins on the shafts. The traces are now attached to 

 the drawing-bar, the breechen or kicking-strap buckled, 

 and the false belly-band buckled up pretty tightly, so as to 

 keep the shafts steady. In four-wheeled carriages it should 

 be left tolerably loose when a breechen is used, to allow 

 of this having free play. The reins are now untwisted from 

 the terret, and the horse is put-to. For double harness, 

 the first thing is to bring the horse round by the side of 

 the pole, and put the pole-piece through the sliding ring 

 of the hames, the groom holding it, or else buckling it at 

 the longest hole while the traces are being put-to ; as soon 

 as this is done, the pole-piece is buckled up to its proper 

 length, each coupling-rein buckled to the opposite horse's 



