248 



HARNESSING 



CH. XII 



outside trace on top, .so that in putting-to it will 

 come off first ; the habit that some coachmen have, 

 of tying a knot in the trace to keep it from drag- 

 ging on the ground is not a good one, because the 

 knot twists the trace. 



The bridle is then put on, the reins passed 

 through the terrets, the drauoht-rein buckled to the 



bit, and the coupling-rein 

 to the throat-latch or to 

 the nose-band, under the 

 chin. Passing the rein- 

 billet through its loop, but 

 not through its buckle, is 

 sufficient to hold it. 



The rein must then be 

 looped over the centre- 

 terret in the manner shown 

 in Fig. 123. Care must 

 be taken that the rein 

 which has no buckle at the 

 end is put on the near 

 horse. The reason for 

 this is, that, when at a 

 chancre, the reins are 

 thrown over from the near 

 FlG - I2 3- to the off side so as to be 



taken up by the coachman, the heavy buckle end 

 might hurt a person standing on the off side. It is 

 therefore a rule, that, even when there is to be no 

 chano-e of horses, the reins should be thus put on, 



