272 BUCKLING THE REINS CH. XII 



and says : ' This is new, and it is a mere piece of 

 'affectation, and should be put a stop to.' Also: 

 ' It is evident, that with the reins unbuckled at the 

 ' ends, should either of them drop out of his hands, 

 'all command of his team is aone.' And ao-ain in 

 his Essays, in discussing the merits of short and 

 long wheel-reins : * ' In quick opposition work also, 

 ' long reins are the best, as there is no occasion to 

 ' buckle them until the coachman is up, and it is 

 ' immaterial whether they are buckled at all — a 

 ' consideration in minute and half time. Indeed, I 

 ' know one or two swells who have banished the 

 ' buckles altogether from the leaders', as well as 

 ' the wheelers' reins, on the ground of their being 

 ' in the way of expeditious changing ; but this must 

 4 be awkward for their horse-keepers, as without 

 ' the buckles, they cannot tell the near from the off 

 ' rein when harnessing their horses, and then the 

 'coupling-reins would be as often wrong as right.' 



Leaving the reins unbuckled was apparently for 

 the purpose of shortening the time required to make 

 the chancres. 



The question seems to be, whether it is more 

 important to guard against the consequences of 

 the rein's being dropped or of the leaders' breaking 

 away. There is certainly much more chance of 

 the former's happening than of the latter. The 

 off wheel-rein may easily slip out of the hand, 



* In early coaching days short wheel-reins were used (see p. 229). 



