I90 ANGLE OF TRACE CH. X 



horse, and with the usual height of splinter-bar, 2 

 ft. 7 in., the angle of the trace of a coach is about 

 16 degrees, and therefore somewhat exceeds the 

 theoretical angle. The direction of the trace con- 

 tinued falls above the front axle and below the hind 

 axle in the way which is shown by Philipson 

 [Draught, p. 18) to give the best results. It is 

 obvious from an inspection of Fig. j$ (showing the 

 manner in which a wheel is drawn over an ob- 

 stacle), that a downward direction of the trace from 

 the vehicle to the collar would be wasteful of power, 

 and that a moderate upward inclination, tending to 

 lilt the load somewhat, is better. 



Dwyer has pointed out that the direction of the 

 trace should be, as nearly as possible, perpendicular 

 to the collar, but no shoulder is straight enough to 

 bring a trace, with an angle of 1 2 degrees, at right 

 angles with the collar. On a well-made horse, the 

 collar will have an inclination of about 36 degrees to 

 the vertical, and a trace with an inclination of 1 2 

 degrees to the horizontal will not come within 24 

 degrees of beino- at rioht anodes to the collar, or 

 within an anode of 16 within 20 degrees. On a horse 

 with a very sloping shoulder, the collar will be even 

 less upright, and the strain on the trace will pull 

 the collar up, on the neck, choking the animal and 

 chafino- the skin. The correction for this is, ob- 

 viously to have the splinter-bar low, and to put the 

 draught-eye of the harness high. 



Close observation of passing horses will fre- 



