CH. XIV STARTING 289 



check to their mouths, they will be apt to stop, or 

 to back, with the result of having the pole run on 

 them, whereupon they will jump forward to be 

 brought up again by the short rein. With leaders 

 inclined to rear at starting, it is best to give a good 

 deal of rein, so that they shall feel their traces and 

 have some work to do from the very beginning ; 

 they can be easily brought back later. 



Once in his seat, with his reins adjusted, the 

 coachman must glance over his team to see that 

 no rein has a twist, that the coupling-reins are 

 crossed, and that neither of the inside lead-traces 

 is twisted ; from the box, he is better able to notice 

 these points than from the ground. 



All is now ready for the start. The groom should 

 be in front of the leaders, and facing the coach. 

 The head man should be at the wheeler's head on 

 the off side. Just before starting, the brake should 

 be taken off, :;: very quietly, the whip having been 

 passed into the left hand ; the brake-handle should 

 never be touched while the whip is in the right hand, 

 because to do so causes a wide movement of the 

 whip, which may be noticed by the horses. 



The coachman then intimates, by a nod, to the 

 groom at the leaders' heads, that, if he is holding 

 the leaders, he is to let go ; the man steps to the 

 near side and moves back a few paces so as to be 



* For a discussion of this question of the brake, see further on, 

 under Stopping. 



19 



