CH. XI SHORT WHEEL-REIN 229 



it does no harm, but it should not be on the lead- 

 reins, because, if the coupling buckle is in the posi- 

 tion given by the directions above, this loop will 

 bring the fork of the reins too near the pad-terrets, 

 and if the loop is at the proper place for the fork, 

 the buckle must be put back 10 inches, with the 

 result of having that much more weight of rein to 

 no purpose. 



This loop is a somewhat modern arrangement, 

 and on pair-horse harness keeps the reins together 

 at the proper point, while permitting the buckle to 

 be near enough to the coachman's hand to enable 

 him to alter it, and its use for a pair has probably 

 led harness-makers to put it on four-horse harness. 



The keeper or loop, in front of the coupling 

 buckle, should not be nearer to the buckle than 2^ 

 inches or else it will be difficult to change the place 

 of the buckle quickly : for the same reason, the 

 holes should be long and not round. 



The reins, at the end behind the hand, usually 

 have buckles, by which they can be fastened to- 

 gether ; a substitute for this arrangement will be 

 described in Chapter XII. 



Four-horse reins are never made of black leather, 

 nor round, nor have they hand parts separate from 

 the rest of the rein, as is sometimes the case in pair- 

 horse harness. 



In the early days of English coaching, a short 

 wheel-rein was used. It was made just long enough 

 to come into the hand, and hung on the second and 



