252 PUTTING-TO CH. XII 



must be done by the pole-chains, which must be, 

 therefore, tight, or else the carriage will run from 

 one side of the road to the other. 



Since the chain of a public-coach is first attached 

 to the pole-head, it cannot be readily put on with 

 the wrong end up, but this may be done with the 

 chains of a drag which have snap hooks at both ends. 

 The mistake should never be made ~>f putting the 

 hooks into the kidney-link ring, as is frequently done 

 with a pair of horses by ignorant coachmen. When 

 the chain is attached first to the pole and then 

 passed through the ring, a man standing in front 

 of the horses, can pull with force upon the end of 

 the chain and get it tight. If it is already in the 

 ring and must then be passed through the pole- 

 head, he has to stand under the horse's head, where 

 he has no pull upon the chain, and where he is 

 beslobbered by the horse. 



The wheelers' coupling-reins then should be 

 buckled to the bits. 



The leaders should be brought to their places ; 

 their traces hooked on, the outer ones first ; and 

 their coupling-reins buckled to the bits. Care must 

 be taken that the horse which carries his head the 

 higher has his rein on top of the other coupling- 

 rein, or else the horse which carries his head low 

 will be continually pressing with his rein upon the 

 mouth of the other horse and worrying him. For 

 the same reason, a ring should never be put upon 

 the coupling-reins where they cross. 



