THE ANGLE OF TRACTION, ETC. 



235 



doubt very unsightly ; whereas by prolonging the pole 

 to the line y y they bring them only to b ' b ', and if the 

 pole be extended to z, then only to b b. It is, however, 

 also evident from the figure that by putting a crosstree 

 on the head of a considerably shorter pole as, for 

 instance, at x x the same useful effect maybe produced 

 as with the pole reaching to y y. In the end it comes 

 to this the long pole and pole-chain, like the long 

 trace, would not suit town- work, and therefore a cross- 

 tree is, as the ' Handy Horse-Book ' says, a very useful 



Fig. 21. 



contrivance ; but by using a somewhat longer pole, 

 moderately long traces, and pole-chains to match, you 

 will for country work save your horses' fore legs, 

 shoulders, and hocks immensely for the freer and 

 less hampered a horse goes in draught the less will 

 he suffer, and the longer will he be able to do his 

 work ; although it is, on the other hand, equally true 

 that the shorter and tighter you have him trussed 

 up between the traces and the pole-chains the more 

 you have him in command, but you take a deal more 



