CH. XI BREECHING 223 



very far up, which will serve the same purpose. 

 The back-strap should be short enough to keep 

 the pad well back ; when the pad is close to the 

 withers and to the collar the apparent length of the 

 horse is diminished. 



Hip-straps or trace-bearers are not used on coach- 

 harness, but sometimes, when driving a young horse 

 on the lead, they are useful, because if he kicks, he 

 takes his trace up with him and is less apt to get 

 over it. It is not considered ' crood form' to use 

 them, but this is, perhaps, one of the cases where 

 simplicity is purchased at the cost of suppressing 

 what is really useful. 



For a kicking wheeler, a kicking-strap may be 

 made fast to the splinter-bar close to the outer 

 roller-bolt, and, passing over the horse's back, be 

 buckled to the pole two or three feet in front of the 

 futchells ; it should pass under the back-strap and 

 be attached to it by a small strap. 



The thorough coachman must be always prepared 

 with the knowledge and, as far as is possible, with 

 the appliances, to overcome all difficulties. 



Breeching. — In early days, when coaches had no 

 brakes, the wheel horses always had breechings to 

 enable them to hold back in descending hills not 

 steep enough to require the skid, and they are now 

 sometimes seen on public-coaches in hilly parts of 

 England. 



The breeching consists of a strap somewhat nar- 



