DRIVING-PAD. 



187 



I like the reins to be about twenty-two feet long, and made 

 of one and a half inch " circular " (or " pipe ") webbing. I 

 have them buckled on the rings of the snaffle, and separate 

 from each other ; so that, if the horse tries to bolt away 

 when being driven on foot, he can be pulled round and 

 held fast, by letting go one rein and holding the other 

 tight. With an ordinary snaffle, we may employ leather 

 guards similar to 

 those used by Lon- 

 don cabmen, in order 

 to give increased 

 effect to the side pull 

 of the rein, and to 

 prevent the corners 

 of the mouth from 

 becoming chafed. 

 Each guard is made 

 of a circular piece of 

 stiff cowhide, about 

 four and a half inches 

 in diameter, and 

 having, from the cen- 

 tre to the circum- 

 ference, an opening, 



which can be laced up. Or it may consist of two pieces of 

 leather sewn together, and will then be a fixture. 



The driving-pad, which is an invention of mine, consists 

 of an iron plate to which a piece of rod-iron of suitable size 

 and shape is securely riveted (see Figs. Z2 and 83). The 

 plate is about twenty-six inches long, one-eighth of an 



Fis. 82.— Front view of driving-pad. 



