CHAPTEK XVII. 



HARNESSING DRIVING! COMMAND OF TEMPER DRIVING ON ICE 

 WINTER-TROTTING IN CHICAGO, &C. 



PRECEPTOR. Good morning, my hopeful scholar. I see 

 you are awaiting my presence to commence operations. 



PUPIL. "We are all ready. The morning wall?: is through 

 with, and I have harnessed Jane. I always like to have 

 the harness get warm before hitching to the vehicle. I 

 formerly owned a horse that, if saddled and mounted im- 

 mediately, would throw off the best rider in the world ; 

 but if saddled half an hour before he was brought out of 

 the barn, would go as quietly as desired. I ascribed this 

 to the coldness and dampness of the pad, which had pro- 

 bably frightened him in his first lessons. 



PRECEPTOR. In all likelihood that was the reason. The 

 stuffing of the saddle absorbs a good deal of moisture, 

 which must be exceedingly uncomfortable when pressed 

 down with a man's weight. I have known horses that 

 would not pull freely 'till they had "warmed in the 

 collar," as the grooms say. 



Regarding harnessing, nearly every man who uses a 

 horse would say, that he can harness one properly, when 

 the fact is that many professional grooms are not aware 

 when it is rightly done. For trotters, especially, the 

 greatest care should be observed that every strap is in its 

 right place, and every billet buckled in its proper hole. 

 When on, the whole suit ought to fit like a lady's glove, 

 without confining the animal by a pressure of buckles, 



