276 



SPIKE OR UNICORN 



CH. XIII 



with his traces attached to a bar which is lashed to 

 the splinter-bar (or sometimes to the foot-board) of 

 the carriage. He has one forked rein which serves 

 to restrain, but not to guide him. He is guided by 

 a short rein running from his bit to the end of the 

 pole. 



Three horses at the wheel make a eood team for 

 a station omnibus ; for travelling with a coach, three 

 on the lead not only give additional power, but en- 

 sure still having a team of four in case anything 

 happens to one of the horses. It is a favourite 

 team with Swiss and Italian vetturini (Fig. 131), but 

 is a little less handy in sharp turns and narrow 

 places, than four horses. An objection to this ar- 

 rangement of three horses is, that in warm weather 

 the middle horse suffers from the heat. 



Fig. 131. 



Spike or Unicorn. — It may be sometimes conve- 

 nient to drive two horses at the wheel and a single 

 leader, in which case it is necessary to have for this 

 leader a pair of long reins and a single lead-bar 



