CH. XI POLE-CHAINS 233 



The lead-reins are made in the usual way, but the 

 wheel-reins terminate in buckles, and are buckled 

 to the lead-reins precisely as a coupling-rein is at- 

 tached to a draught-rein (Fig. 113), with a distance 



Fig. 113. 



of about ten inches between the buckles. In driving, 

 the portion of the wheel-rein which is between the 

 buckles, and that part of the lead-rein which is oppo- 

 site to it, come into the hand. For the method of 

 using this rein see page 476. 



Pole-Chains. — Pole-chains, and not leather pole- 

 straps, are always used on a coach. Originally 

 they were fastened to the pole-head, as they still are 

 on farm wagons ; but now they are separate from 

 the pole, and may be therefore considered as part 

 of the harness. On a public-coach, if the pole-head 

 and the fittings of the bars are black, the chains 

 are black also, and are kept in condition by being 

 painted or varnished. On drags, they are always 

 of polished steel, and on some public-coaches they 

 are also of polished steel. The approved forms are 

 shown in Figs. 114, 115 ; they should have straight 

 open links, and not links like a curb-chain. For a 

 public-coach, one end has a ring, and the chain being 

 passed through the ring of the pole-head, passes 



