260 DRAUGHT AND HAENESS. 



bad behaviour, the horse bolting, or throwing itself 

 down, etc. There is really no good reason why the 

 harness saddle or terret-pad should not be so constructed 

 as to keep its place sufficiently well as to afford a counter- 

 check for the bearing-rein when used moderately, if only 

 the girth be sufficiently tightened, to which there can be 

 no more objection than with a riding saddle. Therefore 

 so far as the bearing-rein is concerned the crupper may 

 be well dispensed with. 



Let us now enquire what can be done, to render all 

 reliance on the crupper, as a means of arresting the 

 progress of a vehicle, superfluous. Four-wheeled car- 

 riages with poles come first for consideration. Here the 

 vehicle is prevented from running forward too rapidly, 

 or brought to a standstill altogether by the action of the 

 pole-chains through the collars on the horses' necks, 

 unless a skid or brake be employed in addition, of which 

 more hereafter. One seldom, if ever, sees ' Buss ' horses 

 afflicted with cruppers. Four-wheeled carriages with 

 shafts demand special notice, including as they do the 

 many varieties of pony carriages, so extensively used in 

 this country, and very frequently driven by ladies. There 

 can be no doubt that the harness used for such vehicles 

 should always be furnished with a breeching which, 

 when combined with a kicking-strap, may be made very 

 neat to look at, and renders the crupper quite unnecessary. 

 The great question to be determined is whether it should 

 be what is called a short or a long breeching, that is 

 to say, whether it is to act directly on the shafts, or 

 to be carried forward so as to act on the tugs, when it 

 is called a long breeching. In most vehicles of this 

 description the front carriage is made very low for con- 

 venience of turning, and the shafts are consequently 



