342 TURNING AND BACKING CH. XIV 



which is important, since the majority of horses dis- 

 like backing ; they have also to back only on a part 

 of the street which inclines toward the gutter, so 

 that the coach runs down-hill. 



In Fig. C, the leaders could be brought back 

 somewhat more on approaching the kerb, so that 

 the coach could go further on, and then on being 

 backed, it would come more nearly square to the 

 kerb behind it. The letter ' a' shows the first posi- 

 tion of the horses; 'b,' the second position just 

 before backing. 



When, therefore, the street is only 24 feet wide, 

 the movement must be commenced parallel to the 

 kerb and about 16 feet from it, in order to get 

 round, but for a width of 30 feet or more, it is better 

 to brine the coach somewhat across the road before 

 going on the lock, so as to diminish the distance 

 through which it must be backed ; in a width of 

 less than 30 feet there is no advantage in obliquing 

 across the road, since the coach will not go far enough 

 away from the kerb (on account of the leaders' 

 reaching the other side) to back square against it, 

 and the movement would have to be repeated. 



If the coachman, starting to make a simple turn 

 in a 44-foot street, finds that he is not going to get 

 round without backing, he should commence his 

 backing movement as early as possible, so as to get 

 the advantage of the slope of the side of the road. 

 It is difficult for the horses to back a coach up even 

 a slight grade. 



