CH. XI POLE-CHAINS 235 



from catching in the point. The chain should be 

 somewhat short, otherwise the hook may come down 

 to the pole-head before the horse is poled up tightly 

 enough. 



This chain may be used on a drag, but a chain 

 with two spring hooks (Fig. 115) looks better. It 

 may be somewhat short, so that the hook can be 

 hooked into any link ; but for a private coach, it is 

 better to find the exact length required, by experi- 

 ment with the chain (which, when bought, is always 

 too long), to cut off enough links to make it the 

 proper length when both hooks are in the pole-head, 

 and to have the hook properly fastened into the end 

 link. No links must be left beyond that one in 

 which the hook is fastened ; few things are more 

 slovenly on any kind of a carriage than loose links 

 dangling and jingling.* 



The spring hooks must be put on the pole-head 

 with their backs up, to prevent the bar of the bit 

 from catching in them ; but since the rings on the 

 pole-head are usually vertical, the hooks will be 

 horizontal, which serves the same purpose. Spring 

 hooks are frequently so made that the small eye 



* Pole chains should be used only on a carriage driven by the 

 master or mistress, such as a coach, mail-phaeton, or lady's phaeton ; 

 never on a carriage driven by a coachman, such as a landau, coupe, 

 or victoria, when straps should be used. This is a custom based upon 

 the fact that the working originals of coaches and mail-phaetons 

 had chains ; an adherence to it marks the difference between well 

 turned-out and badly turned-out vehicles. 



