CH. XIII POSTING 279 



off side harness is the same as that of a pair, with 

 the exception of the reins, but the near side harness 

 has a saddle like that shown in the plate of the 

 cock horse harness. 



The bridle, collar, and traces are as usual, except 

 that a long trace without a buckle is preferable to 

 the ordinary one, on account of its not making- a 

 lump under the saddle-flap. The saddle is plain, 

 and has an iron loop on the tree behind, to take 

 the back-strap, which must be shorter than in an 

 ordinary harness. 



The off, or 'hand horse,' as he is called, from the 

 fact that he is led, has a single leading-rein, which 

 goes to the near side of his bit, and a short rein 

 from the off side of the bit to a point on the lead- 

 ing-rein, about fifteen inches from the bit ; in other 

 words, the leading-rein is forked, so as to be at- 

 tached to both sides of the bit ; the buckle of 

 the short piece runs on the main rein, in order 

 that the proportionate lengths of the forked ends 

 can be so adjusted as to give an equal bearing 

 on each side of the mouth. The near horse has a 

 simple rein for the postilion, like that of a riding 

 bridle. 



If four horses are required in posting, the leading 

 horses are harnessed as already described for the 

 wheelers, except that the traces are sufficiently long 

 to reach to the tug-buckles of the wheelers as de- 

 scribed on page 237. 



Before the days of railways, posting was the best 



