DRIVING WORKING HORSES. 311 



driver may economize the strength, and preserve the 

 temper of his team, so as to secure a greater amount of 

 work with less effort than if he kept the sluggard up to 

 the bit from the start, and restrained the early ardor of 

 the more spirited animal. 



If your horses have a fancy for working in a peculiar 

 manner, or at a particular stage of the journey, you will 

 derive an advantage from consulting that fancy as far as 

 practicable. Fig. d shows the manner in which the reins 

 may be held in the left hand, and fig. e the manner in 

 which the off reins may be taken in the right* hand, for 

 more careful driving. When the reins are all held in the 

 left hand, the right may be laid on any one or more of 

 them as occasion may require. 



In turning corners, draw the leaders around first and 

 let the wheel horses follow as nearly as possible in their 

 tracks — not turn at the same time. 



On ascending ground, the leaders should do more than 

 half of the work, to compensate the wheel-horses for their 

 extra effort in holding back when going down hill. 



Driving Working Horses differs from pleasure driv- 

 ing, as much as does its object. One desideratum in pleas- 

 ure driving is a certain style and a regard to appearanc?, 

 while teaming or business driving has for its main object the 

 best economy of the strength of the team, and its appli- 

 cation to the performance of labors. It is true that a team- 

 ster may have a just pride in the appearance and style of 

 his team, but this should always be subordinate to their 

 usefulness, and the main problem which he has to solve 

 is, how to turn a certain amount of invested capital, and a 

 certain amount of hay and grain to the best account, in 

 performing the work in which he and his team are em- 

 ployed. To accomplish this, having the horses fed in a 

 manner to give them the greatest possible strengtli and 



