FOUR-IN-HAND DRIVING 



board, but this is rather an advantage, as, with a 

 pulling team, a turn of the wrist gives one when 

 going straight an extra purchase by the slight 

 binding of the reins. Another method separates 

 all the reins with a ringer between each ; and still 

 another separates the two wheel reins by the 

 second finger, while the nigh lead comes over the 

 forefinger as usual, but the off comes in outside 

 of the little finger, and through the "whole 

 hand." This makes looping difficult, but gives 

 such scope to wrist turn and movement that prac- 

 tically loops are almost unnecessary. Still an- 

 other method treats the wheel reins like the lead, 

 in the case just cited, while the wheel reins " come 

 home " as do the lead in the same case. Origi- 

 nally it is said that the wheel reins were made 

 just long enough to reach the hand, and that 

 their loop was taken in the " full hand," the op- 

 position being made by sliding the hand either 

 way. A not improbable objection to this was 

 said to be the fact that, if a wheeler fell he pulled 

 the Jehu off his box, which result certainly had 

 its drawbacks, especially if the " monkey on a 

 stick " attitude, so fashionable on the box to-day, 

 was accepted as correct then. With all its dis- 

 advantages it was found very difficult to make 



217 



